Letter to a daughter

 Dear Sanjana

My first memories of you is when you were born and I held you in my arms. And it was the best thing in my life. And the first time when you walked to me when I came home from SFO when you were 10 months old. Mom had spent the entire week teaching you to walk and when I came home you walked to me and we hugged and laughed and it was the happiest time in Irving. Another favorite memory of you was I would take you to Tom Thumb in Irving and I would let your ride a mechanical horse and you loved it. Once I took you there and you asked me innocently, “Do you have money??” to ride the horse and I was blown away. You were 2 and a half years old. My other memories of you were playing the Monkey and the Cap story over and over again and you never tired of playing that when you were 4 and when Meghana was born.

I still remember you and me holding Meghana together and welcoming the little devil into this world. This was in India. I also remember the first time when you came back to Houston from India when you were four and we went to get the car. You were so fascinated by me and I felt so good.

The most I was proud of you, of course, was when you stood up for your sister at a friend’s house. That was the happiest day of my life when I knew you going to be the best-est big sister ever.

The times at Anderson Elementary where I was WatchDog and you being so proud of me for being a WatchDog Coordinator is something I cherish. I do remember having Friday lunch with you and organizing play dates with your friends and it was a lot of fun. So was playing softball with the Bombpops. Those games were a lot of fun. The times at Barnes and Nobles, Braum’s ice cream were a lot of fun too.

Middle school was fun as well with Band and accompanying you as the “Band Dad”. Middle school went pretty fast and here we are. You are going to be leaving middle school and now going to high school.

I know it has been rough as you become a teenager and I have become older for the last couple of years. The little devil (Meghana) has not made it easy either. 

 I always remember Muttavva(ML Padmvathi, my maternal grandmother) and she always expected a lot from us and never gave up on us and she did it in all kinds of ways. I am who I am because of her. I know you want to be a doctor and the journey is going to be long and arduous but Amma and I will always be there for you. If I am to you was Muttavva to me, I have done my job and you will appreciate what we did when you have children and grand-children.

We are lucky to live in the safest time in the history of mankind. We owe it to us and to people before us to do justice to this opportunity and we will be there cheering you on every step of the way.

Love,

Dad and Mom