A WEEK BEFORE HIS BIRTHDAY




“There are two great days in a person’s life:

       the day we are born, and the day we discover why.”      

William Barclay

 

“Sir it’s going to be my 40th b’day,” messaged Shripad, last night, “Will you write a blog on me?”

This soon-to-be-40 boy (He is still a ‘boy’ for me) never ceases to amuse me...

Shripad is going to be 40 on this October, 16... and, the countdown has already  begun! In fact, the count down, every year, begins when October 2 approaches... Early in the morning, on 2nd October, Shripad calls up to greet me: “Happy b’day Bapu.”

It’s going to be eighteen years, now... Shripad was in TY B’Com. He was brought to me by his parents. “Sir, he is a ‘special child’; he has some learning and coping disabilities... But, he refuses to be treated as a ‘disabled’ or a ‘special’ child... He wants to be treated like everyone else.”

Well, I have written so many times about Shripad... He had difficulties in learning and coping. But, he has been ‘special’ in so many ways... He has been blessed with his own special abilities.

So, Shripad now lives in Coimbatore like a ‘special kid’ of his parents... Their expectations are simple... Shripad’s expectations are simple. At 40, this boy is single and happy...

If I am a ‘Bapu’ for Shripad, for whatever reasons it may be... he is a ‘beta’ for me... I keep my expectations low, too.

That said, I wish to remind Shripad about ‘being special’... He doesn’t have to move any mountains, or climb any... He just needs to keep asking this: “What makes me special?”... That’s enough.



(The b'day boy's countdown has begun...)


Maybe, today, let him type these words of William Barclay in big, bold letters and place them in his room... Let him think over them; yes, for one full week before the b’day comes:

“There are two great days in a person’s life:

       the day we are born, and the day we discover why.”      

William Barclay

Take your time, beta...


 

GERALD D’CUNHA

Pic’s: 1. Pixabay  2. Shripad Raghunathan

Video: TheTrackingStaionNH

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