Home is the place where one is wanted. Where gifts find their way to
one, in times good and bad. Drought or plenty, demonetization or
otherwise. Where giving and taking and sharing become one.As soon as we reach, Eashwaramma comes with some home grown rice, a treat at any time, especially at these times when growing paddy locally has not happenned in years. This year some people have grown paddy, and when Eashwaramma and others go for labour they get some paddy as wage.
Lakshmamma with some guavas from her spindly tree at home.
Munishwari with groundnuts from her bleak harvest, with instructions
that I boil in salt water and sun dry and keep for my daughter.
And we share what is there in my bag from Chennai ...
In times of drought, gifts. Given spontaneously. And forgotten the moment they are given.
Mangoes, worth gold in this drought. Anand anna knoks at the door and unties then from his 
towel carefully and places them on the chair.
towel carefully and places them on the chair.
Yesterday his wife Sarojamma gave a winnowful of groundnuts.
Eashwaramma gave 4 vadais yesterday, Roopa brought some murukku. Freshly fried.. made for her children, home from the hostel.
In these times. Hard times. A mango or a vadai given means one less for the children at home.
There is no surplus.
And that is the giving that I have faced down the years.
That giving that is rooted in infinity.
And then my own learnings to take the gifts in humility. Learning how far I need to go. Facing my smallness. Raising my bar.
That giving, from ones own basic needs, denying oneself and ones children, is the giving that the Gods also bow down to.
Giving has nothing to do with what we possess. Nothing.
Yesterday's gift from the village. With Anita and Annapurna. A village in drought, battling malnourishment.
Villages have sustained this land. They only know to give. To sustain.
The ability to give unthinkingly, out of ones own disappearing stock, is heavens greatest gift .
Pickles, mango and lemon.
Karuvepaaku from Annapurnas home.
Drumsticks from Annapurnas single tree.
Mangos from the last few of this year in Anitas hone.
Chillies and tamarind from Anitas home, "Madam, you have to buy everything for money, isnt it. We had some at home, Use this."
Ponagantaaku, greens, from Annapurnas small patch behind her home.
Karuvepaaku from Annapurnas home.
Drumsticks from Annapurnas single tree.
Mangos from the last few of this year in Anitas hone.
Chillies and tamarind from Anitas home, "Madam, you have to buy everything for money, isnt it. We had some at home, Use this."
Ponagantaaku, greens, from Annapurnas small patch behind her home.
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