The Moments We Shared, the Silence that Followed

There was something magical about those 45 days of summer holidays. My sister and I would eagerly count down the days, waiting to board the train with our grandparents to visit my aunt’s house in Kallidaikuruchi a village near Tirunelveli . My aunt, my father's sister, was always waiting for us, and the house would soon be filled with laughter, noise, and endless fun.

We were a group of six cousins, all coming from different places, and those summer holidays were the highlight of our year. Two of our cousins children of my aunt will be not there most of the times but they will join us in weekend because they are working ,others were still in school, full of energy and excitement. From the moment we arrived, the days were packed with joy and activities.

Mornings started early with tea, and then we’d head straight to the river, splashing around and enjoying the cool water. After that, we’d rush back to devour a hearty breakfast and dive straight into playing. Games, laughter, and running around filled our days, interrupted only by lunch and a quick afternoon nap. Evenings brought snacks and more games, followed by dinner, and yet again, more playtime until midnight.

We all slept in a small area with just a few pillows, and those pillows were always the source of playful fights. It was chaotic, but it was the kind of happiness that you never wanted to end. The street itself would scold us for being too loud, but that only added to the fun. Every year, we would leave with a heavy heart when the holidays ended, feeling the sadness of saying goodbye to our cousins and the carefree days.

This went on until 2010, when life slowly began to change. My grandparents passed away, and we all grew older. Some of us went off to college, others to high school, and the once lively summer street became quiet. My aunt’s house, once filled with the sounds of children playing and laughing, became still and silent.

It’s hard to accept that we’re growing up and those days of playing together are behind us. But even as life changes, we hold on to those memories. Today, in 2024, all of us cousins are in different places, each of us in good positions, living our own lives. But no matter where we are, we are grateful. God gave us joy when we were children, and today, He gives us the gift of memories that fill our hearts with happiness every time we think about them.Always our grandfather taught  to be bold,ready to face any challenges in your life because some people are ready to throw stones into the river but the river is moving without any disturbance like that in your life some people will throw stones at you,don't get triggered and react.Like that whenever if anybody hurt by someone thrown stone we today care one another as cousins sometimes in our hard times of  life when we come across several challenges we stood by the one another who need us for the support , other people around us may think it is overcaring but we as cousins will not think about it,just ignore it ,if we take that into our mind means unwanted confusion will raise between us.If in your life you are having overcaring person or cousins means don't leave them just stay with them.

"Sometimes, a little over-carrying is just the extra love we need to keep our bonds strong."