One of my dreams was to become a grandfather. I feel grandfathers are elevated to a higher status. A category where you are considered to have seen life, become wise and mature. A platform from where you could look down on others with a smile as if to say ‘Well, you have a long way to go!’ Grandparents are a special breed. They talk endlessly about their grandchildren with an all-knowing look in their eyes. Many a time, in the company of my colleagues, I would feel conscious and an outsider just because I was not a grandfather.
I had done my bit. I was the father of a lovely, caring, suitably married daughter. Now all I could do was to wait and yearn for the day when I would be granted my much cherished title of a grandfather. After a long patient wait of many years, when I had reconciled and accepted my fate of being a lesser mortal of just a father, came the breaking news. I was to become a grandfather in just a few more months! From that day, my sedate, retired life took a different turn. There were constant trips from Bengaluru to Hong Kong where my daughter lived. I put aside all my novels and was submerged in literature on pregnancy, new born babies and grandparenting.
The red letter day came on a bitterly cold foggy morning at Matilda Hospital in Hong Kong. Parth, my grandson, had arrived. I was a grandfather! Since that day, I have spent hours sitting and just gazing at my grandson as he grew from days, to weeks, months and years. The bond and love between us has strengthened with time. He has brought me abundant joy and happiness. He is almost six years old now and my world revolves round him. Not a day passes when my wife and I don’t spend time talking about him.
As I sit in my study surrounded by photographs, my memory goes back to the arrival of our lovely daughter and the happy years bringing her up. The exuberance of youth, the surge of energy in sporting and outdoor activities, with not a care in the world of health and age.
My daughter now has a son and I am a grandfather. Life has come a full circle. As I walk around Discovery Bay, a resort in Hong Kong, holding my grandson’s hand, I see the tennis and squash courts buzzing with activity. I recollect the thrilling moments I have lived on such courts. Now the spirit is willing but the flesh feels weak. It is the time of the younger generation, our children.
The past decades have brought with it a wealth of experience. There is the understanding that relationships, love and sacrifice are supreme. They bring a bottomless well of joy and happiness. The golden years give us ample time to invest in relationships with spouse, children, grandchildren, relatives, friends, even strangers and provide a sense of fulfilment in our lives. The choice is ours whether to invest or not.