Ammachi...you will be fondly remembered

Grandmother. what does it bring to our minds? Lots of love, care and delicious food and of course home remedy for everything from dry coughs in the night to diabetes control ! Yes this post is in loving memory of my ammatchi, who passed away a year ago due to renal failure. She was 89.

As we celebrate her first year death anniversary, I am reminiscencing all the goodness she had bestowed on me. Of course after my wedding my ammachi was away and didnt really have good rapport for some reason. Even till day i feel as if she lives in one of my mama's place.

That apart, She is Maria Selvam, the last of the nine children in her family of whom many died, She used to speak very high of her brother who brought her up and educated her. She was a trained teacher and very good in tailoring and embroidery. She taught me some embroidery and crochet too. She worked as a teacher and earned Rs. 20 as her salary, all this pre-independence period! She also used to tell stories of War period when cereals and pulses became scarce and how rava idli came into existence.

Some of her remedies are hand crushed black pepper to be kept in the throat and drink hot water for dry coughs. Bengal gram when dried and powdered can be used for bathing its as good as using butter on your skin she says, she used to have bitter gourd soup without salt for diabetes control. She also taught me how to clean fish and make fish fry even when i was 12 yrs old and said it was good for the brain.

She was very prayerful and did the rosary everyday without fail. My mum and ammachi together instilled in me the praying habit, though i dont say novena after novena like them. She used to write letters (it was the only source of communication as every house hold did not have a landline) from Coimbatore especially on my birthdays and would also send some money. She encouraged me a lot, for my 10th birthday she wrote that she heard in news that the then President of India Mr. R. Venkataraman also celebrated his birthday the same day and wished that i may also do well like him. Most of all she was a strong person as she raised 6 children and got them married as my thatha died early. I learnt to be resilient like her.

I will always miss you ammachi, May you rest in the good Lord' everlasting peace.