Page 52 - NIS English 01-15 July 2022
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Nation PM's Blog
still tries to do all her work herself at this age. that stray dogs around our house never went
Her focus on cleanliness is evident even hungry.
today. Whenever I go to Gandhinagar to visit Mother would make delicious ghee from the
her, she offers me sweets with her own hands. cream that my father would bring back from
And just like a young child’s doting mother, she his tea shop. And this ghee was not just for our
takes out a napkin and wipes my face once I consumption. The cows in our neighbourhood
finish eating. She always has a napkin or small too were entitled to their share. Mother would
towel tucked into her saree. feed rotis to the cows every day. And rather
I can fill many reams of paper recalling than just giving dry rotis, she would spread
anecdotes about Mother’s focus on them with homemade ghee and love.
cleanliness. She had another quality - a deep Mother insisted on not wasting a single
respect for those involved in cleaning and grain of food. Whenever there was a wedding
sanitation. I remember, whenever someone feast in our neighbourhood, she would remind
would come to clean the drain adjacent to our us to not waste any food. There was a clear
house in Vadnagar, Mother wouldn’t let them rule in the house - only take as much as you
go without giving them tea. Our house became can eat.
famous amongst safai karamcharis for tea Even today, Mother takes only as much food
after work. in the thali as she can eat and doesn’t waste
Another habit of Mother that I always even a morsel. A creature of habit, she eats on
remember is her special affection for other time and chews her food to digest it properly.
living beings. Every summer, she would put Mother would find happiness in other
out water vessels for the birds. She ensured people’s joys. Our house may have been
50 New India Samachar July 1-15, 2022
