Knowing God

"Who is God?" the child asked,
"I wonder God is who?"
"You are the answer" said her mom,
"And I'm the answer too"


"The birds and bees,
the stars and trees,
and every lovely thing you find.


The answer to your question child,
Is still too big for mankind!"

This is a verse from my moral science book of second standard. I remembered it because it reinforced my belief that knowing God in person is impossible. But I was very wrong and its only today I realise that. I did...and still do...know God in person. I can talk to him whenever I want, laugh with him, play...and he loves me a lot too. Yes, God is here with me and I call him Grandpa.

Like my blog's tagline says its abt ppl who inspire me and nobody does more than my Grandpa. To describe him, hes remarkably healthy for his age which is 80 yrs (touch wood!) He can still walk more than a km without tiring and at 65 he'd even hiked up Sinhagad! As a person he's very well read and u can discuss nething with him frm GRE to Abhi-Ash wedding to Economics! Infact it was Grandpa who introduced me to books when he use dto sit with me at jus 3-4 yrs with Chandamama and Tinkle and read aloud to me. Now it's my turn to do tht and hw i enjoy it!! Reading aloud to Grandpa is a lot of fun. Its always laced with lots of interruptions, questions and sometimes heated debates when our viewpoints differ.

Grandpa's been the source of lots of my memories right from early morning walks to secret gardens around Dadar to playing hide and seek. Its his inspiration thts kept up the writer and artist in me alive for even while the whole family stifled laughs at my amateur art, he openly admired it for its 'ability to make the receiver feel special'. But these all r hardly the reasons I call him God.

He's my God bcos he has lots of those other qualities that I think God must have. Patience for one...Once some1 tells him that he/she will meet him at so-and-so place at a certain time, Grandpa will go there at tht time and wait and wait for tht person. He simply has unshakeable belief that nobody will ever ditch him. I'll never forget tht one rainy day - my birthday many years ago - when I'd promised to meet him for an icecream and forgot all abt it when I went to enjoy with friends. Even reaching 2 and half hours late, I found him half soaked yet greeting me with a smile. No icecream ever tasted so bitter as it did that day!!

Forgiveness is another of his qualities. The above incident is not just bcos I'm his grand daughter, it stretches to anyone and everyone. Once Grandpa trusts u, he'll trust u forever and forgive u forever! Then theres his complete loyalty and devotion to Grandma, at 80 he still waits for her to join him at the dinner table and still makes the morning tea for her - something he's been doing since the first day of their marriage!

These and lots more of his qualities and memories make me call him God. Its just so hard to describe him in words. Perhaps not being able to paint someone's vignette also qualifies them to being called God. His one big desire is to see me as an engineer...and one big reason I'm waiting so eagerly for 5th June. The day I can tell him so proudly that I'm an Er.

Pls get well soon b4 tht day Grandpa...I miss u. When I want something for myself or anyone else I can ask God...but whom do I ask to get my God hale and hearty again??