Semicolon

When I parked the car and got out this Tuesday, I could see Nikhil waving at me from the window in 2nd floor -"How was your last day,Amma?", he screamed. As I entered the home, both the boys came right to the door step and hugged me tight. It was my last day of work before I become a SAHM by choice for sometime.

I have been contemplating this move since some months. Kind of tried to push me away from the decision, tried to chug along with the long commute, guilty feeling of not devoting time for kids with a tireless smiling face and the ad-hoc conditions of operations of work with the budding new product. Finally, I saw signs around me that said - JUST DO IT for your peace of mind. B supported it. Kids welcomed it. I took the step.

When I resigned, I worried about what will be the reactions of different people around me. I realized that even when I make decisions after a lot of thought, I am the kind who seeks approval from everyone for my actions. It is the way I was brought up - I cannot be totally careless about the 'opinions' of people. Close friends and family had seen me go through a tough time in coping with work and commute. They could understand me. My colleagues really opened up and they could see my point in my current stage of life. So I bid good-bye to some good friends and colleagues. I was lucky to have a manager who provided lot of options for me to stay back. I am grateful to have had him as my manager - or else I would have left a while ago. In spite of all that, my heart kept telling me to see a change in life.What I will miss most about this work place would be the PEOPLE again.

It is not a period - I would like to think of break as a semi - colon. The sentence will continue some time later.

As I look ahead, I realize I will get bored eventually, will get tired of screaming to the boys when they fight with each other. At that point, I will look into getting back on the groove, but for the moment, it feels like the right thing to do. I did enjoy working for the past 13 years. But now, I want to take a break - not having to worry about waking up early, beating the traffic, driving 45 min sounds like a welcome change. Being there for son 1 when he comes back from school. Being there for Son 2 before he goes to kindergarten next year and reading books to him. Not having to bother B about my work-woes. Cooking some nice meals without thinking of it as just a chore. Driving Son1 to activities. Helping MIL with cooking as long as she is here. All these sound appealing now.

I am leaving to India tomorrow to meet my dad on his 60th birthday. I am glad I am able to go.
It will be just myself in India for 3 weeks. The kids are here with B and his parents. As much as I am excited to have a fun trip and some nice times with my parents, friends and family, it pains to see Nikhil emotional. He surprised me by making a 'MISS YOU' art work with his 'haiku' on me. Seeing this, the younger one got the help of grandma and made a similar card for me. I am treated so special because they will see me only after 3 weeks. I am touched.

Will keep you all updated from India.

Express it!

I got a Fedex package today morning. I wondered who on earth will send me a package.It was marked with H's name.

H is my colleague from India who came to help us out at the US office during last winter. She is a bright girl and she is proud of everything that made her what she is (the country, the culture, the family and the customs). I see a positive spirit in her that she passes on in her deeds. The efforts that she is willing to take to make people happy brings to my memory that I was like that too.

She had sent handwritten greeting cards and some gifts to three of us who helped her during her stay in US. Needless to say, we were all thrilled and surprised. The fact that she remembered to wish us a Happy New Year this way, made me think that I should do the same for someone else.

I had expressed thoughts along similar lines in my greeting cards post. What you send or buy for someone need not always be a pricey. It could be something simple. In today's busy world, taking the time out and sending a handwritten card can be such a big surprise. Sending a simple gift is hard enough to do in our busy schedules. If you have amazon.com website open, and you finalized what to get for her, you are stuck at a point where you don't have the person's address handy. That happens to me all the time. Then someone calls you for something and you walk off - 'may be some other time'.

Next time, please determine that you will do whatever is needed to express it! I am sure those efforts become fruitful when the receiver smiles upon receipt. I am sure your efforts will be appreciated. Please do not hesitate to express your 'thanks for being my friend' feelings - even if it is in a simple way!

We just did that for someone's birthday (inspired by H) - it is a good feeling at both the ends if you put that bit of effort!