Parental Care

Parental Care is of utmost importance to all growing children. In tamil they say “Maatha, Pitha, Guru, Deivam” which means Mother, Father, Teacher and God. That is the sequence of importance one has to give in life.
Mother gives birth to the child and knows the child much better than everybody else in the world. Mother is the “First and the Best” teacher for a child. Even before the child is ready to go to school the Mother teaches alphabets, numbers and nursery rhymes to the child. Father provides the requisite protection and security that is so much vital in this world.
Parents always care for their children and keep thinking of how to support the children and how to make them into a very good grown up individual. No one else will be concerned so much about the overall development of an individual. As a kid and as a youngster I have got irritated with my parents on several occasions. I have shouted at my mother on several occasions. I have not appreciated and failed to understand her care, love and affection. It took a very long time for me to realise this and finally when I became a parent I started realizing how stupid I was during my younger days.
I have completed 47 years of existence in this world and when I look back into my own life, my thoughts are filled with the greatest legendary couple – Smt.Pushpa Parthasarathy and Shri.T.R.Parthasarathy Iyengar – my parents. They were responsible for my birth into this world and it is a great blessing that I was born to this legendary couple.
My father is a great individual who has taught me Discipline. The self imposed discipline has made me into a well rounded person, giving me the ability to organise myself, lead by example and demonstrate all the time how a well organised, systematic approach could lead to successful implementation of plans.
I am very proud to write my name as T.P.Anand and I am known in office and among friends as TP. “T” stands for Tirupathi (my native place – my fore fathers hail from Tirupathi) and “P” stands for Parthasarathy (my father).
Incidentally “P” also represents my mother “Pushpa”. Some people tell only their first name and even write only their first name. Some others write their initials after the name. I am proud and blessed to be
known as T.P.Anand and popularly called as “TP”.
Whenever I meet somebody for the first time I am very proud to tell that person my pedigree and about my brothers and sister. It gives a great feeling to say that you are born to “so and so” parents and your brother is “this” and another brother is “that” and your sister is “this” & she is married to “so and so”.
My father though physically handicapped has faced several challenges in life with a brave heart. He is very methodical and systematic. He has a flair of his own and style that he maintains in everything he does. For me he has been a great “Hero” and many of my qualities are copied from him. He can play Harmonium, Tabla, Doluk and is very fond of Filmy Music.
He used to spend two full days to decorate the 9 steps for Navarathri Kolu in our house. We all used to rally around him and help him with the arrangement of dolls, decoration of the 9 steps with so many colour papers. He used to cut them so nicely into different designs with lot of ease and passion.
He was one of the most successful Sales Managers and used to always come back from his business tours with sales orders. Once I took him to an Orthopedic Surgeon and when my father said he is in Sales the Doctor was actually shocked and said you have only one leg and you are touring 28 days in a month on sales. The doctor said to my father “you are not supposed to be in Sales. You should do a proper desk job and walk as little as possible in the day”. My father said “Doctor I have been travelling extensively and doing a Sales job all my life – now more than 30 years – and how can I now switch over to a desk job”. Eventually my father retired as a Sales Manager after more than 30 years of successful selling career.
He set up a business to trade in spare parts for Cinematographic Equipments which he ran successfully for nearly 10 years. He finally gave up the business venture and took shelter at home once and for all at the age of 70. He is now 81 and we celebrated the “Sadabishekam” on 9th January 2010 in Chennai. Behind every successful man there is a woman. Behind this successful legend Shri.T.R.Parthasarathy there is a woman – Smt.Pushpa Parthasarathy.

This picture was taken at the 81st Birthday Celebration of my father – Sadaabishegam and my elder brother T.P.Ashok is behind them (Ashok has been a great source of support for my Parents – the most obedient child).

My mother though not formally educated in an University is the most intelligent woman that I have met in my life. She took the bold decision of marrying a physically handicapped person (which is highly commendable) and has raised four children.
My sister, two brothers and myself are all very well qualified professionals. My Sister Mrs.Vyjayanthi Raman is an “Interior Designer” and a “Social Worker” and she is married to Mr.S.K.Raman a very successful Chartered Accountant. My eldest brother T.P.Ravikumar is a Software professional working for IBM. My elder brother T.P.Ashok is a software professional and a banker working for IOB. Last but not the least, I am the last of the siblings – qualified Chartered Accountant. All the four of us have had very good education and upbringing – thanks to my wonderful mother.
She has been a wonderful cook and though she has not been interested in handicrafts she suddenly took interest in stitching fancy clothes for temples. My father helps her with the cutting of clothes and purchase of materials. My mother makes very beautiful and highly creative clothes in velvet and other materials for the Hindu Temples. Her handy work is displayed in most of the Hindu Temples in Tamil Nadu and even in the United States. It is a great service that my father and mother are doing for the Hindu Temples. This good deed will bear fruit and probably guide the next generation (the children of our generation – my sister, brothers and myself) and help them grow up as very good human beings.
I am very proud to be the son of this legendary couple. They have shown me what parental care is all about and I am trying my best to show similar parental care to my children.
T.P.Anand, Dubai, U.A.E.
1st July 2010