Thanksgiving

Well, many of you may be wondering, why a blog on thanksgiving in the month of October. And then, what does it have to do with Indians; Is this not a very American/Canadian affair?
As we toil away in life, to satisfy our own desires for greater achievement, or fighting our disappointments, we fail to recognize or even give credit to all those around us, who have silently, and many times, with absolutely no expectations of any returns or rewards, done their bits to make us happy, satisfied, and secure.

Archit and Vasudha

So, here is a thanksgiving message to all of them:

1. First and foremost to my parents, who have been the reason why I can write this blog.  For their untiring encouragement, for their assurance to me when I am down, for their  
2. To my wife, Vijayalakshmi, for her unflinching support in all that I believe, continuing faith in my love and affection for her, and for taking care of all the small details that I quite grandly ignore.
3. To my two lovely kids: my son Archit, and my daughter Vasudha, for giving me a reason to continue to do what I do.  While I get to see very little of them, they give me the most pleasure, even at times when I get angry with them, or when they come to me to cuddle for some love and hugs.
4. To my school teachers, who have contributed the most in shaping me, and making me who I am. For all their tireless and selfless efforts, knowing fully well that their students would one day go far ahead of them.
5. To all those who have consciously or sub-consciously taught me and have been my gurus.  Many of them, I will continue to respect through my life because they are the ones who have made me who I am, slowly, one piece at a time.
6. To all the wonderful people who have surrounded me through my so many years, looking up to me, expecting me to be their leader and putting their trust in me, which I will try my best not to betray.
7. To all my students from various batches, who have patiently listened to my mix of lessons in theory, as well as lessons of life.  I hope that you will look back at your lives and benefit from our brief interactions.

Just thinking of all those wonderful people who have made me what I am, it is just not possible to call myself a self-made man.  In fact, who is?  And I am thankful that I have so many people to thank for making me what I am.

What should I do in return?  All that I would like to do is to try and give back as much as I can; be the teacher that my teachers were to me, be the parent that my parents were to me, be the friend, adviser,confidante, guide, and mentor that I have been so fortunate to find in others.

I will strive to make a mark, not as a successful business person, but as someone who has given back much more than what he has received in life. And that is what will be my biggest acheivement.