Visit.

Living in California, We do not get many visitors from back home. Many childhood relationships long lost, we do live a happy content life as any foursome family. Except some pangs of regrets when we see children playing with visiting grandparents in the local park or when our children visit friend's who have their grandparents visiting them for a six months stay. Somehow getting our children's grandparents visit us is always been an alluring enigma.

So now when our cousin had to come to bay area on work from Chennai and stayed with us for 2 months, it was like a rare surprise gift. It was like walking down the memory lane, densely fogged with clusters of emotions. Remembering and discovering the tastes, sharing memories and revisiting common interests, like books and history. Children had a fun playmate and a knowledgeable chithappa - all in one.

But time's winged chariot does fly fast when you are having so much fun. The visit ended and he started to get back to his work, life and family today. We roam around the home like zombies. My little two and half year old is still calling for "chithappa". Older one is bravely trying to hide his disappointment.

Having family live in the US doesn't help a lot sometimes. We do have our family on the other coast and meet rarely and only in India when we both visit. Perhaps defining once a year visits with family on the other coast will give these relatives deprived children a better idea of family and relationships? Like alternating visits every year?