Day 784: That Lovely Big Family!

When I first came to Singapore, I somehow got myself involved in the Kerala Association activities here. While I met a lot of fellow Malayalis there, I got closest to one particular aunty. She has been in Singapore ever since she was a child and hence was a Singaporean in the true sense but without letting go of Malayalam or any of the Kerala culture and customs for that matter! In fact, she was quite the veteran at Malayalam playwriting as well as acting!

We got along like a house on fire and once when I found myself stranded with no place to stay for about three months in Singapore, she very kindly even offered a room in her house to me!

It was during this time that I got acquainted with her family. She is the oldest amongst six siblings, and all of the rest were in Singapore. With their spouses and two to four kinds each, they had a huge family settled here. Given that Singapore is a tiny place, the members of this family were very much in touch all the time, and every now and then they used to have a gathering with all of them coming together for some serious catching up.

And I happened to become pretty close with most of her family members as well. I always used to be amazed by the unity in the family and how everyone always seemed to have a lot of fun! Just like this aunty, her children (who are actually very much grown up adults) as well as other siblings, nephews, nieces, etc. were all active in arts or social work or other such activities. So their lives always seemed to have this very lively buzz and I used to enjoy meeting each and every one of them. In fact over the years, I have done several plays and dances and management of events etc., mostly for Kerala Association, with this aunty as well as her family members. I had also done a copywriting internship at her son's advertising agency, given tuition lessons to her nephew, taught dance to a bunch of the kids etc. etc. In fact, I used to feel very much part of this lovely family!

Now the only reason why none of them had featured on this blog till date is only because many of them, including aunty, relocated to Australia about six years ago. Since then I have not been in touch much, except when aunty comes for visits to Singapore and I get to meet her once in a blue moon.

But today, I had the good fortune of meeting aunty again, and that too with a gathering of her huge family! Not all the members were there of course, but there were the ones who are remaining in Singapore as well as the few who had flown in from Australia.

And it was so, so wonderful to see all of them again and feel a part of this gorgeous family! I had a fabulous evening, chatting and catching up with all of them! There are just the same as ever - united, loving and always looking like they are celebrating life to the fullest.

May God bless this Lovely Big Family!

216 more to go.