We have always seen our life
with Amrit as a journey and our journey has taken us on many different roads.
There have been turns here and there that have filled our life with all different kinds of
challenges, obstacles and changes. But we've always made it through those times
because God has always placed someone in our path to bring us some
encouragement, strength, kindness, knowledge and hope.
Creating this blog has given me the perfect
opportunity to do something that I have always wanted to do. I would
like to thank some wonderful earth angels who have been instrumental in helping
Amrit reach where she is today. These are the people who have
somehow touched our life, wonderful people who stepped into our path of life
for just a short time. Nevertheless, they have left their footprints on our
heart and have left me with some sort of inspiration.
At one time or another, the people I'm about to
mention, have somehow shared their lives with us. A
lot of things they've said to me and things they've done for Amrit will always
be held close within my heart. I have many beautiful memories
and cherish each and every one of them.
The first and foremost in the list I wish to
thank is Mrs. Meenakshi Dixit, Chairperson, Doon Blossoms School, Dehradun. She
is the amazing lady who gave Amrit the first feel of a school. There were days
when Amrit would not confine to the so called school rules, but she was never
singled out. She would rummage through Mam’s kitchen, mixing up the spices and
other rations but was never pointed at. I still remember how she would slip
into her house and refuse to move back to the classroom. From play group to
grade five, she held on to my daughter’s hand and I will ever be grateful for
those formative years.
Amrit was also lucky to have wonderful teachers like
Rashmi Verma, Amita Rawat, Poorva and Vibha who held her hand through those
difficult years when she was lost in her own world, trying to come to terms
with the different world around her. These wonderful ladies taught her
phonetics and I still remember the first time Amrit read a newspaper headline,
all thanks to Rashmi who taught her letter recognition and Amita mam who
grilled her with phonetics, today my daughter loves to read the newspaper.
In grade five, we moved Amrit to yet another
wonderful, secure setup of Selaqui World School where she realized her passion
in life, her love for Art under the guidance of Mr. Sujit Das. Sujit Sir
recognized and nurtured her talent and gave her the confidence to bloom and
flourish, to give words to her feelings through the brush. He gave her the
exposure to widen her horizons and helped us to understand the direction her
life was to take. Much to his credit, Amrit filled the canvas of her life with vibrant colours and hope and love that she will cherish forever.
It was time to move again. After five years at Selaqui, we moved Amrit in the lap of serenity, calm and beautiful location of Kasiga School. Once again she was fortunate to have a mentor in the form of Mr. Bapun Dutta who nurtured her talent further. She would sit at her table by the window, looking out to the beautiful landscape that surrounded the place and paint it on her canvas.
Two years later I once again moved and this time the shift has had a major implication on our lives. I joined Pathways School, Noida and it is here that Amrit has found her calling. It’s here that my girl is exactly who she is, welcomed into a community who viscerally understands what it means to be different – by any degree, by people who respect her enough to meet her exactly where she is and tell her – and show her – that it’s perfect. Thank You Pathways for reaching out to Amrit and for all that you do each and every day. So many wonderful people have filled her Life's canvas and have extended support and showered her with such positivity and love for which I will be eternally grateful. Here she has matured as an artist and painter under the guidance of Mr. Anil Goswami, who has given a direction to her work and a true meaning to her life.
