Friday, January 4, 2008

Painful Joy

I've just been with a friend who seemed very distracted, in spite of pressingly inviting me over. Her little grandson,who had been with her for a week, was about to leave - to the other grandparent's house. He will be back in a week. But for my friend, even that seems so hard.

Parents of NRIs seem to have it even harder. They go as baby sitters, nursemaids, cooks and cleaners for about 6 months, get extremely attached to the children and then have to return home empty handed. 'It breaks my heart', one lady was saying. 'Why do I have to undergo this cycle?'

Our society has turned around so much in the past few decades,that living with parents is anathema to any newly wed. To be avoided as much as possible.

So, that precious relationship between grandparents and grandchildren, gets more and more tenuous. And more and more painful to sustain. Grandparents have to work hard at being interesting and accepting and amiable and giving to have their grandchildren visit and stay.

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