27.06.2015

 Dear Antu,

Where do I begin? Words fail me. When I think about you, I usually roll my eyes or sigh heavily or smile to myself or laugh out loud and feel the heaviness in my heart from the overflowing love. You can get away with anything in this household and you know it. Sometimes I want to take Ashu aside and tell her "Watch and learn. This is how you get what you want." But square peg, round hole and all that, I guess! Thank you Antu for being you and teaching me one or two things about getting your way but still making the people around you happy. Its a talent I sorely lack. 

You adore your sister and can't live without her. Even though Ashu is at a stage where she wants nothing to do with you, you follow her around like a puppy. And its hard to ignore such devotion. You have a wonderful group of friends and you like everyone. Even for this years birthday party, you wanted to invite a big group because everyone is your best friend! You are a very confident child and usually do not care much about what other people think about you. You are extremely helpful and eager to please. The other day, the old lady who lives downstairs came up to give some chocolates to you because you always hold the door for her and help her. I was truly amazed. You literally can't even hurt a fly. We have to chase the bugs out of the window, not kill them. This one time, your father made the grave mistake of killing a spider and you cried buckets. And now you have a pet snail living in our balcony and I don't if it is payback for your dad but I can't even eat a damn salad these days without thinking about the poor snail! Please let him go.

You are crazy about books, music and puzzles. The centre table in our living room has been completely taken over by you for your puzzles and we have learnt to balance our tea cups around them! This one time, I even used a few pieces as a coaster but you were very disapproving! Every thing has to be just-so for you. You have a great dress sense and very coordinated. You are particular about hair styles and even socks. You change outfits so many times a day much to my annoyance. You are currently so obsessed with everything "Frozen" that its driving me crazy. You are having a Frozen themed party tomorrow and when I mentioned that its summer and we should have a summer party, you would nt listen. Of course as luck would have it, your aunt decides to surprise you by visiting and showed up today with a suitcase full of everything Elsa, Anna and Olaf and you are in a Frozen heaven now. Let it go has become my mantra these days. I wish I had my own castle to run away too!

You are so generous with your hugs and kisses and I love yous. I hope you never ever change and I even made you pinky swear that you will give me a hug whenever I want. You loved our recent trip to Majorca and I think I should prepare myself for the inevitable beach bum you are going to to turn out to be. But you want to be a cow girl and ride horses when you grow up! Guess  a career in giving horse rides for kids in Besant Nagar beach is your calling. Go for it, I say. As always, I become very emotional around your birthday but this time you strictly told me that you can't be a baby forever and you need to grow up and I should stop whining about it. Sigh. Happy 7th Birthday, Kannamma! Keep smiling. 

Love, 

அம்மா.