Happy birthday, Ajji!

Ajji with baby brother Sunshine.
Though she never admitted it,
he was her favorite grandchild

It is a special day for the Sunshine family. My paternal grandmother - or Ajji as her grandchildren fondly call her - would have been 92 years old today. 

I have been fortunate to have a lot of strong women in my life, but Ajji was like no other woman I have ever known. She was the rock that kept our family anchored to reality. She was the glue that bound us. She was selfless and compassionate - constantly taking care of everyone around her. She was very, very smart - I like to think that my interest in strategy as an academic is due to her influence. She was strong - she lived through the partition, married a difficult man, had two eccentric sons (I love you dad and kaka, but admit it, you are eccentric) - but I never heard her complain even once (and I heard her cuss someone out only once in my entire life time). She was thrifty, creative and a brilliant cook - nothing ever went to waste in our home.  And I think she was a closeted feminist. She was all that I want to be when I grow up. 

She taught me so much. She taught me that beauty comes in different shapes and forms, that you have to treat others just the way you want to be treated by them (a very important lesson in a country like India), that being selfless is sometimes the best way to tell someone that you love them.  

She passed away 5 years ago and I am so glad that Mr.  Sunshine was able to meet her. I wish our future Sunshine child could have met her -  her/ his life would have been so much richer with her in it.

Happy birthday Ajji! We all miss you so much. And as my little brother said, you would have been so proud to see all your grandchildren doing so well. Thank you for helping us do that.

XOXOXO

Ms. Sunshine