Happy Birth Day, Mother

February 6, 2010
Nagpur

To,
SSVC's Mother,
SSVC's Heart,
SSVC's Home,
SSVC's Homtown

Dear Aai,
Many many Happy returns of the Day, dear Mother!! Aai, it’s your birthday today, do you remember that? How bad Aai, you remember everyone’s birthday at Home, you even celebrate every birthday at home… It’s so obvious that, because you always remember our birthday we always forget to remember that you remember our birthday. Then why isn’t the case when it’s your turn? Aai, you always live for us, why don’t you live for yourself for at least a single day in whole year?
Anyways mother, a Very Very Happy Birthday to you!! Surprised! Online Birthday wishes mom, online! And yes, that too through Blog. The old days of Letter, Postcards and Greeting Cards are gone, mother! It’s all the mail, sms, scraps, blogs … now days! So please accept my ‘Bloggy’ wishes!
And did you notice one thing, Aai – I’m finally on Blogs with this… It was just like the whole world around me was on BlogSpot. Thought to come in this world sometime… But, somehow I was not getting a मुहूर्त for it. And you know, The Beginning should be always auspicious, the day, the time. In fact you taught all these things to me, since childhood, didn’t you?
Yes, for me, today is the Day, it’s your birthday- my Mother’s Birthday. The most Auspicious Day... Probably I could not have got a better day to start ... माझ्या आईचा वाढदिवस ... The reason of my existence, the reason for I am what I am...
So Aai, what gift do you want today from me? Aai, I thought a lot about it, which is the appropriate gift for you, but I’m sorry Aai, there is no gift in the world for the person like you, which money can buy. You are so special for me, mother. I don’t have any gift as worthy as you deserve… No one in this world has.
So what can I give you mom, what? See how difficult question it is. I’ve got the “Gift Of Life” from you, mother… Which gift should I buy for you, Aai?
Feeling happy to write something for you, Aai… Otherwise I’m always reading something written for mothers in newspapers, in Books, on Mother’s Day... Yes about the Mother’s Day- one day in the list of lot of Days in the calendar year. I like this “Day” culture, especially the Mother’s Day. I agree, dear mother, that the love for you should not be confined for a day in a year. But its very unfortunate mom that your son has got so busy that he even doesn’t have time to express his love, gratitude, respect for you. The thing of which I should be ashamed of… Sorry mom, I’m realizing that I’ve never said a single ‘thank you’ for everything you have showered on me - your love, your blessings, your soul. And I’m sorry mom, I’ve always raise my voice, get angry upon you, and then afterwards never say ‘sorry’ for my rude behavior to you. I’m really sorry Aai, many a times I take you for granted, do not think what you feel, what you think.
I know Aai, all my ‘sins’ will be forgiven by you. All the offences of a son are forgiven only in the court of mother’s heart.
Lot said mom, but not enough. It can be never enough. It’ll be enough that day when the treasure of love in your heart for we kids will decrease even by a miniscule. Someone can wait for that day till infinity. This treasure is perennial. It never depletes.
So mother, please celebrate today’s day… Not just because it’s your birthday, but the day important for your son as well. I’ll also celebrate, mom… not just your birthday, not just the Mother’s Day but every day in life... Because this life is given by you, Aai , and therefore there are days in my life. If I call a day as Mother’s Day, then I must call the life, which one gets only once, Mother’s Life. Why shouldn’t I celebrate it?
I’m praying God for your long long life, mother… and Celebrating “The Mother’s Life”. Wish you, too, mom, a very happy Mother’s Life.

To the best Aai in the world,
Your Loving Son,
Saurabh Sheela Vasant Chambhare

PS: A poem on you, mother, in mother tongue… It’s also on Father, after all he is also equally important as you are, isn’t he? Don’t worry Aai, I’ll write a letter to him also (but I won’t show it to you ;-))

आई बाबा
पुनमेच्या चंद्रावानी
आईची शीतल माया
जीवनाच्या मध्यान्ही या
केवळ आईच धरते छाया

बाबांचे हे प्रेमच असे
जसा आदित्य प्रकाशमान
आयुष्याच्या काळोखात
देतात सदैव तेजाचं दान

आई म्हंजे असते ज्योत
उजळते घर प्रकाशाने
चंदनाचे झाड – सौरभ
दरवळते जसे कणाकणाने

बाप असतो तेलवात
जळत असतो क्षणाक्षाला
हाडांची काडे करून
आधार देतो मनामनाला

आई म्हणजे सागर जसा
प्रेम, औदार्य , करुणेचा
अथांग...मन जिचे
जसा प्रशांत ममतेचा

आकाशाहून सदैव उन्नत
उंची माझ्या बाबांची
विश्वाहूनही विशाल हृदय
स्थितप्रज्ञता हिमालयाची

तान्ह्या कृष्णासाठी फुटे
आई देवकीचा पान्हा
गोकुळात लीला दावतो
माय यशोदेचा कान्हा

अष्टमीच्या गर्भरात्री
यमुनेच्या पुरातून
रसिकतेने कृष्ण वाहतो
बाप वासुदेव डोईवरून

आई हा शब्दच असा
सरोवरात कमळ विलसती
सप्तसुरांचे माधुर्यवैभव
या एका आईत वसती

बाबांसाठी आदर असा
जसे तळपते इंद्रधनुष्य
सप्तरंगात न्हाऊन जाते
दैवतात या माझे भाग्य...

-सौरभ शीला वसंत चांभारे