The Energy of Youth

This past weekend, I attended a wedding in Missisauga, Canada - a Toronto suburb favored heavily by new immigrants.

There were many things to be joyful about -the wedding, my first North American Family reunion after returning from India, seeing my niece Lily after 4 years, seeing my friend Christine and her family in their new home in Canada, celebrating my mother's 80th birthday.. the list goes on and on. ..

But what struck me most was the energy, vitality and power exuded by the young people of Canada... surely the world is theirs to conquer.

Take for example the wedding that I was at.

While I am sure my cousin contributed to the preparations and the design , and I am certain that his wife watched over the preparations very carefully - there was an indelible signature to the whole event, and surely it was that of the bride and her sister.

Gorgeous in appearance, capable of putting any Bollywood star to shame - the young girls costumes were very carefully designed, their jewellry dazzling.

The celebrations had all the yearning and nostalgia for the old and familiar, but the execution was very here and now. The first event was the Mehndi - the bride and her immediate family - had had theirs done a day earlier - so they could mingle with their guests. An efficient mehndi-walli decorated palms in under 90 seconds - gorgeous and beautiful designs. There was dancing - to current Bollywood tunes.

Similarly the wedding was meticulously choreographed, as was the first dance. The evening drew from Gujrati weddings, Western practices as well as North Indian culture - so there was the formal Gujrati Kanya daan and Phera and Vidaai; then the Bridal March, followed by the bridal dance - a solo performance by one of the bride's cousins and many many toasts. This was followed by a good measure of balle balle. All the menus were carefully picked out - and we tasted a range of foods in the 3 days.

Young Anurag, our 8 year old nephew who was visiting from London, went to the grocery store with Shruti and my uncle to pick out a birthday cake for mom. Man- I had forgotten how good chocolate cake tastes. And the sheer joy of having the candle play a silly tune at the oddest of times.

Christine's older son - all of 16 years old - was doing errands around the house helping his parents with home improvement projects. Her younger son - showed incredible focus on the Nintendo screen - followed by an amazing ability to spin around in circles forever.

Sunali's kids grew up fast while I was gone - they read big books and participate in grown-up conversations when they get in the mood. And I thought they were playing on their little hand held device all the time.

Shruti took the spotlight in all the political debates with her strong position on Barak Obama. Lily delighted her grandmother by wearing all the jewellry and the sarees that grandma wanted to dress her in. She then went and got her other hand and both feet hennaed. Both girls wore saris - and energetically ran around, fetching and carrying and ferrying their grandparents around.

And it occurred to me that all of a sudden, there were a lot of young people that were directing the course of events around us - participating in and changing the world we live on, and the traditions we mauled only a decade or so ago.. ..

And for just one tiny moment, I wished I could exchange places with them...... be as young, as energetic, as beautiful, have my whole life ahead of me.

Of course when I thought about it a little longer - I am happy not to have any more choruses or encores or refrains....... These extra pounds, this fading youth - they have all given me the ability to appreciate youth - I remember how I thought it was a tiresome thing and could not wait to be all grown up.... and so I dedicate this blog to the energy of youth.