21magical guidelines for this sojourn called Life

For Saagar, my son, as he turns 21 on July 21

1. Live life to the fullest
2. Be fearless but don’t exhibit false bravado or resort to foolhardiness.
3. Look people straight in the eye when you know you’re right.
4. Always lend a helping hand but don’t be taken for granted.
5. Remember the dignity of labour and learn to be as self-sufficient as possible: don’t assign menial tasks to others.
6. Love music, song and dance and recognize them as the ultimate expressions of joy.
7. Build a few, self-disciplinary rules, stick to them and know the value of Time.
8. Be sincere; never voice views/feelings you don’t mean and honour every commitment you make-big or small.
9. Respect not just your elders but also your peers and those younger/socially inferior to you; and be civil to strangers too.
10. Be truthful and honest in all your dealings and have the courage to side with the minority if that’s what is right..
11. Despite spiraling crime graphs and scams of all kinds, have faith in the intrinsic goodness of man.
12. Cut your coat according to the cloth-and practise saving a small percentage of your income every month.
13. Keep in touch with friends-they’re the mainstay of life.
14. Do not get into monetary transactions with friends/relatives (what are banks for??).
15. Learn to commune with Nature: let the gentle breeze ruffle your hair, walk through woods, dance in the rain, drink in the beauty of the setting sun………..
16. Make sure you do some charity- silently, anonymously.
17. Have compassion for fellow human beings especially the poor, the old, the very young, the disabled and the unhappy.
18. Preempt the needs of your parents- especially as they grow older-and remember these needs are more emotional than material.
19. Rejoice with dear ones in their good times, but more importantly, be there for them in their distress.
20. Be proud of your lineage, uphold family values and always be proud to be Indian.
21. Celebrate life-even a small success deserves to be made an occasion of.

With love and blessings from
Mamma