Bon voyage through the clouds - A Migratory Bird's Birthday Reflection

Pic courtesy - Somak Bhattacharya

My path is not fixed

It's all started here, Yes I am black-white photography kid

My parents, my roots

My life was fulfilled because I have a brother, my little brother,

My at my young age, may be thinking something.

During my Masters at USA or may be just graduated.

Before marriage, visiting Phili, We didn't any clue we would celebrate Eagles one day with kids.

Official courtship. Our marriage on reception day.

Bengali marriage.

My first kiss to my first kid - very unique feeling.

I always wonder, nature always attracts me.

My 2nd kid was born...we four.

I miss my fav rose tree back in Canada house, it is all dried down now

Winter in Canada

Summer in Canada

Covid time - in Canada, mask was handstitched by a friend, covid taught us a lot.

One remarkable memory in recent past -my opportunity to White House visit.

Another special day. Another year, I completed a circle around the sun, with more grey hair and more saloon cost. It’s my birthday. Sometimes, I wonder what I have enjoyed most in my life to date – it’s my life’s journey, the versatile and roller-coaster journey. Was the journey always enjoyable? Of course not. But after each finish line, there was always a sense of satisfaction.

I was born in an upper-middle-class family in India, I had everything. Let me explain what it means by “everything”. Whenever I wanted ice cream, I was given a CUP of ice cream from an ice-cream cafe, not a BUCKET of ice cream!!! LOL !! Everything meant it was a pure choice to leave my origin country for opportunity, but I was very clear that I had to have full scholarship/assistantship for my higher education in USA, as my father can’t afford it. The middle class was not only defined by economic standards but also some social values. I was rebellious in my childhood against some of those values, and I still sometimes criticize a few of those. Though consciously and subconsciously, I give credit to many of those values for my success in life. It reminds me of Winston Churchill's quote: “If you are not a liberal when you are young, you have no heart, and if you are not a conservative when old, you have no brain." I always enjoy deep philosophy and deep thinking. My father was astonished and may have been a bit worried when I wrote as a young kid, “Life is a stage, and we all are acting there for a certain time.”

I still remember the day I was waiting for my British Airways at Calcutta airport to Chicago and then routed to my university at Indiana. In final bye – my father was telling me in teary eyes that “you will never come back”. I scolded my father and said, “What are you talking? I will finish my master’s and work for two years for experience and come back right here”. He kept saying, “Hardly anyone come back, you will not come back”. He was right and I couldn’t prove him wrong as of now.

My life was not only stopped in one migration; it includes multiple countries and many relocations. Every relocation is painful in some aspects- mentally and physically. I still miss so many things from every part I left. I cry alone. At the same time, I enjoyed it. Each move enriched me with lots of experience, new opportunities, and, most importantly, GREAT HUMANS. I came in touch with so many wonderful people. I must say my journey became enjoyable because many great people treated me well. I am immensely grateful for that.

The key feeling today is being grateful and happy. My life is not all about fairy tales. There were very few moments when I felt like my heart was broken into thousands of pieces and I may not have the ability to get up with those broken pieces. But it’s a matter of time. I woke up on a sunny morning just like Terminator” after gluing those broken pieces. I feel being unhappy for a long time is not justifiable to my mom who gave me birth, to my parents who raise me well, to my heart who is pumping without resting, the sun who doesn’t stop to give sunlight, my ancestors who survived may be in ice-age and most importantly my soul.

I would like to convey my gratitude to my husband, kids, parents, relatives, friends, family, and the unknown almighty.