There's a name next to mine!!

It was the Diwali weekend and a very busy one. Everyone was in a mad rush to visit friends, relatives. Those at home were busy with the pooja or were spending money SMSing others a Happy Diwali. It was premier SMS pricing day but that didn't stop anyone from messaging their loved ones.

Diwali Day was a very busy one so I didn't get too much time to check into the messages I received. But come Sunday and I wanted to check who sent me their wishes and who didn't. One of the wishes I received was from my cousin, Ankur who is getting married in November. A small greeting followed by two names: his own and his fiance's. I joked with him later that he is already attaching her name to his even though they aren't a couple legally.

Then I saw another message sent by Sumedha, my best friend. Her greeting had four names. The first being her newest borns followed by her elder daughter, then Sumedha's and then her husband's. Four names of the whole family were there. Another greeting sent to me had the name of a single friend of mine. A lone name wishing me a colorful Diwali.

When I sent thank you messages to everyone who wished, I joined Mohit's name next to
mine. Just four years back, the same message only had my name. And there was immense pressure from the family to have another name joined next to mine. That time my Dad used to send a collective greeting to everybody he knew and he put my name in his message. Then I got married and my name was deleted from his SMS! The complex structure of relationships ensured that my name came only next to one name at one time....

How couples are formed and they automatically attach themselves to each other is amazing? Ankur's greeting is a classic example. He didn't think there was anything extra ordinary in writing his fiance's name. That was the most natural thing to do. They are going to be a couple soon and sending a joint message to all was only normal.

Then come the families as the babies come into their lives. And even if they aren't wishing anyone, parents always use their names in such group greetings. Isn't that so natural as well? And there is always pressure to attach more and more names next to yours all the time. Parents, grand ma's, aunties, uncles and even those distant relatives, everyone loves to see as many names next to yours....

That is the circle of life. We form relations, more names come next to ours and some names go away and join other names. That is what the relation paradigm is all about!!