It's like a champagne bottle was opened last night. Bursting and bubbling the memories poured and I basked in their sweet effervesence, nostalgia took over me and like a child playing with his toys, I was lost in time, playing with my treasured mementos. Many memories fade over time, with the everday-ness of lives taking over our being the past gets blurry. But a memento - a photo, a letter, a card, a gift or any other reflection of the past fills you with such joy and the good old times suddenly stand before you - like it were just yesterday!
I remember every Birthday, dear sister would surprise me with a hand-made card. She has always been a creative person (she almost got into NIFT Delhi but then she chose to go the intellectual way and is currently in IIM-C....Oh yes, I like to brag about her!) but the amount of heart she would put into each of her greetings made me feel so loved and blessed to have a sister like her! Remember these sis? All your cards have been preserved with love and care!
And then the letters came rolling out. Oh it's been more than a decade that I wrote a postcard or an inland letter. When Papa got transferred from Chennai to Kota back in 1998, and then again from Kota to Noida in 2000 I thought that life was really unfair. With a grumppy face I bid farewell to lovely friends in both these cities with whom I had shared the golden childhood days of being carefree, dreaming big, sharing secrets and what not! But we kept in touch and shared our worlds with each other through letters. I remember I was always very careful of my handwriting while writing to my friends and not so much when it came to doing the homework ;) Letters will always remain priceless, even in this digital era and Last night I sent messages to my long lost friends on FB sharing pictures of the epic letters they had written to me! We were so cute! :)
There is another letter that is very very special to me. When Papa got transferred to Kota we were yet to finish with our schooling session in Chennai. And this is when I received my first and only letter from Papa. Everytime I read this I want to hug him! Muuaah!! Ma-Pa, we are what we are today, because of you. You let us make own mistakes and learn from them, gently nudging us to the right path if at all we went astray!
Have I kept the best for the last? It's hard to say! Each and every memento is so special and has an equal place in my heart. But yesterday, going through my treasure chest, I re-discovered an old passion, handed over to me by dearest Grandfather, which I had been sadly neglecting for more than a year now. My beloved stamp collection! Nanaji, who worked with the Health and Family Welfare Dept. of U.P used to travel abroad for his assignments with W.H.O. It is in that period that he started his hobby of collecting stamps and coins from all over the worl. While the coin collection was passed on to my elder cousin brother, I was ecstatic when he handed me his stamp book. I beautified my stamp books with his and later my own collection, signing up with the Indain Posatl Service for regular first day covers, befriending pen friends etc. Thanks to this contest, I am going to take up my love for Philately again!
I want to thank two lovely ladies, Sangeeta and Meena for tagging me and Arti for hosting this fabulous contest! I would like Pixie, Sheethal and Sugandha to go hunting in their cupboards, chests and attics now and share their most memorable memento!
I remember every Birthday, dear sister would surprise me with a hand-made card. She has always been a creative person (she almost got into NIFT Delhi but then she chose to go the intellectual way and is currently in IIM-C....Oh yes, I like to brag about her!) but the amount of heart she would put into each of her greetings made me feel so loved and blessed to have a sister like her! Remember these sis? All your cards have been preserved with love and care!
And then the letters came rolling out. Oh it's been more than a decade that I wrote a postcard or an inland letter. When Papa got transferred from Chennai to Kota back in 1998, and then again from Kota to Noida in 2000 I thought that life was really unfair. With a grumppy face I bid farewell to lovely friends in both these cities with whom I had shared the golden childhood days of being carefree, dreaming big, sharing secrets and what not! But we kept in touch and shared our worlds with each other through letters. I remember I was always very careful of my handwriting while writing to my friends and not so much when it came to doing the homework ;) Letters will always remain priceless, even in this digital era and Last night I sent messages to my long lost friends on FB sharing pictures of the epic letters they had written to me! We were so cute! :)
There is another letter that is very very special to me. When Papa got transferred to Kota we were yet to finish with our schooling session in Chennai. And this is when I received my first and only letter from Papa. Everytime I read this I want to hug him! Muuaah!! Ma-Pa, we are what we are today, because of you. You let us make own mistakes and learn from them, gently nudging us to the right path if at all we went astray!
Have I kept the best for the last? It's hard to say! Each and every memento is so special and has an equal place in my heart. But yesterday, going through my treasure chest, I re-discovered an old passion, handed over to me by dearest Grandfather, which I had been sadly neglecting for more than a year now. My beloved stamp collection! Nanaji, who worked with the Health and Family Welfare Dept. of U.P used to travel abroad for his assignments with W.H.O. It is in that period that he started his hobby of collecting stamps and coins from all over the worl. While the coin collection was passed on to my elder cousin brother, I was ecstatic when he handed me his stamp book. I beautified my stamp books with his and later my own collection, signing up with the Indain Posatl Service for regular first day covers, befriending pen friends etc. Thanks to this contest, I am going to take up my love for Philately again!
I want to thank two lovely ladies, Sangeeta and Meena for tagging me and Arti for hosting this fabulous contest! I would like Pixie, Sheethal and Sugandha to go hunting in their cupboards, chests and attics now and share their most memorable memento!
This post is my entry for the 'My Most Memorable Memento' contest conducted by
A wonderful entry, it was very interesting to read.
ReplyDeleteYvonne.
Thanks Yvonne :)
DeleteOh, Aditi. That was a wonderful read... I also had a stamp collection thanks to my granddad. You write with love and care - best of luck to you:-) Big hugs
ReplyDelete:) Thanks much Eli for such lovely words! Hugs!
DeleteSuch a wonderful post filled with warmth and love!!
ReplyDeleteAh! I left my chest back home in Mysore :(
I don't have anything here... sigh!! But.. I could still do a post I suppose without the beautiful pics! :)
Thank you for tagging me.. will take it up :)
Thanks Pixie :) I'm sure you'll come up with some beautiful mementos!
DeleteI fear that whole generations will pass without those tangibles reminders we can put in boxes and bring out to relive and travel down memory lane with. What a beautiful, beautiful post.
ReplyDeleteOh absolutely Kim! So well said :) Thank u so much!
DeleteThank you...I got a task for this weekend :) will do it this weekend. Nice set of small mementos.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sugandha :) Will be waiting for your post!
DeleteLovely photos, Aditi!
ReplyDeleteThanks Vidya :)
DeleteWhen I saw the hand written cards, I felt bad that post cards,inland letters and small postal covers are slowly becoming extinct.You would not have derived the same fond memories at seein old emails as you do with handwritten letters.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes for the contest
Absolutely right...nothing can replace the hand written letters! Thanks :)
DeleteSuch a beaYOUtiful entry :) And the photos - just gorgeous and helps us picture the moment too. I'm glad you didn't tag me. I have nothing in my cupboard, it's all locked up somewhere :P
ReplyDeleteThanks Sid! Locked up where? I think you should still search and show us your priced memento...I'm sure you will have lovely memories to share! :)
DeleteSuch beautiful treasures, Aditi...the letter from your dad, so much love and care. And he says you have lovely handwriting - so sweet! You must have got from him. And those hand-written letters are priceless. Even I remember trying to write letters in my 'best handwriting' :) I knew you would have lovely memories to share. Glad that I tagged you!
ReplyDeleteThanks Sangeeta for tagging me! I really had fun :) n papa does have a lovely handwriting no? Maybe I took after him but it's long gone now ;) no practice!
DeleteGood luck to you and your endeavours.
ReplyDeleteThank you. Love love, Andrew. Bye.
Thanks Andrew!
DeleteYou have all of them intact? They are truly a treasure :-) I know my mausi has some postcards that I wrote to her :D must snatch them some day :-)
ReplyDeleteRicha
You do that Richa!! This is my most precious collection. After marriage I made sure that this chest came along with me ;)
DeleteTruly a treasure chest! I still have letters my husband wrote me during our courtship :)
ReplyDeleteWowee...how romantic!! :)
DeleteI almost missed this post! woow ur sis is a great combo of brains with creativity! woow am glad u treaurd those letters. they are indeed v precious
ReplyDeleteThanks Meena :)
Delete((Huh??.... Where's the comment I left here...?? :( )))
ReplyDeleteSuch beautiful cards.... and your sister is creative and brainy too... IIM!!! Cool!! .... Back in my childhood... I had a stamp collecting book... and used to do for some years... then lost track of it.. loved seeing the letters... indeed a treasure chest! :)
And thanks a lot for tagging me :)
You commented earlier as well??
DeleteI saw your lovely entry...glad I tagged u :)
I agree that life is a journey. The things we collect over time enrich our lives so much, and have untold meaning. I continue to find treasures in my own treasure chest. Nice to meet to you, Aditi :)
ReplyDeleteShells–Tales–Sails
So well said....they enrich our lives quietly... and we later realize their significance! Thanks a lot for stopping by! :)
DeleteWhat a lovely bunch of mementos and treasures! I love looking at things like that. They are simply priceless.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kathy :)
DeleteI save all the special letters I receive to enjoy them again, some are sad though, like the ones from my mother when she was so ill. Will letter writing and cards disappear? Getting a cyberspace card does not do it for me. Great topic!
ReplyDeleteBitter sweet memories! I know cards and letters have that personal touch which emails and e-greetings can never replace!
DeleteStopping by from the A to Z Reveal. Love short fiction! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteJamie Dement (LadyJai)
My A to Z Challenge
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Thanks Jamie! See you around in April! :)
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