Pleasures of letter writing - contd !

It was very heartening to note the overwhelming response to my first blog. It has encouraged me to go in for the next one - albeit on the same subject - immediately. So here are the stray thoughts - flying all over my head - right in black and white ;

In response to my blog Varun - my son - expressed his disappointment in not being able to have the pleasure of reading his grandpa's letters. Well none of the grand children enjoyed this privilege as they were all very young when he passed away.But I did manage to save a dozen or so of his letters written to my daughter Chaitra(5 years at that time), for the next generation. It doesn't say much but the way it is written - in big bold letters so that she could read it easily - says a lot. I will request my son to scan it and add to my next blog and request all you youngsters to follow this habit to make your little ones happy. Send the PP cards from the lovely places you visit on your business trip. If you are too busy to shop for the PP cards carry them as a habit after purchasing them in bulk.If it is a tour in India post them plain post cards. They will love it. It is not enough if you love them you have to express it. You can do this with your spouses too but no post cards here please !!

If I ever have the opportunity to visit Europe - I think I will as I am a die hard optimist - not many places therein will appear strange to me and the credit for this goes to my only sister Meera Gururaja who was in France in the late 70's with her husband, thanks to ISRO. They toured Europe no doubt but we too had a ring side view of all the places thanks to her excellent letter writing habit .She is to keep us updated about every small details of their tour which we used to enjoy as much as them if not more. These letters used to be my solace - apart from father's letters - when I was serving in remote villages of Madhya Pradesh. People might say that the telephone has shrunk the world into a village. It is true no doubt but written words have a magic of their own which spoken words can't beat. While reading a letter - written as a travelogue - you can go back to the details time and again and live the journey all over which makes the pleasure doubly so. Now a days people seem to feel that others are not interested in small details of places and their perceptions and hence hesitate to share it with their loved ones. Don't make this mistake. Reach out . You won't regret it. It will be like planting the seed of a fruit tree. You might not get to eat the fruit yourself but some one some where will relish it and will probably carry on this good legacy. If any one feels I am sounding like a preacher, my sincere apologies. But I will be back again soon. Let God bless you all.