One mind and one body ... we all own them. But tell me whose mind do you look after ... your own ofcourse unless you are a child .. then you are nurtured until you are old enough to look after yourself.
Growing up I was very often left on my own even though I lived in a joint family for quite a few years. There was never any shortage of kids to spend the time with for we were 7 in all. Leadership came to me at an early age for I was the eldest of the 7. I have always been a gregarious person growing up and as we were mostly unsupervised ... we had lots and lots of fun. In school I had so many friends whose fathers were managers/owners of cinema halls located quite close to our school and I caught many a matinee show by just standing and watching the movies ... running home before our parents' time to return. I don't think my mum knows about this even till today. And in all my years I never experienced a single problem. Life was fun growing up. Everything then was truly free. Our house was full to the brim of cakes / icecreams and other delicious foods all sent by friends of my father ... who appreciated him for who he was .. a good soul who supported them with their businesses. I was always close to my dad and I accompanied him on his many business trips to various companies. One such was UB distilleries and I have gone to the office of Vittal Mallya often where the father of the present would entertain us in his office personally. He would always present me with a small gift ,,, one such gift was a fancy ruler from Old Smuggler and I remember that it was my pride possession for years on end. and even when it broke I still kept it for old times sake. I was still a school girl then and such things mattered.
A lot of our past shapes our future and penning them down helps me remember the good times more often. I also remember the many times the ruler was used on my backside ... I had to often take the punishment for the wrong doings of others for I was the eldest !!! Being a taurean showed me that I could be a stubborn mule when I chose and that nobody ever really knew how to control me. Now I come to the title of this article ... love. Many parents believe .. spare the rod and spoil the child is right and the amount of strictness that I was brought up with did ensure that I grew up right.