INDIAN TRAILBLAZER: The early years, blog 4

The rock of our family as a baby

When love comes into your world it is so beautiful, so essential to your very being. I would say it is as vital as food and water.

But, love can also be the most dangerous emotion, leaving such a searing pain when you feel it’s lost, that you wonder if you could ever survive it. Somehow, and there are so many different beliefs, whether it’s faith or time, people just do. They just do.

The greatest love in my life, other than my beautiful daughter, is my brother. For some reason, my heart still has a hard time grappling this. He is held even in higher esteem than my father, and that’s a pretty tough feat.

As I have shared in earlier blogs, I credit my dad’s example for being able to survive on my own after I left home at 18, choosing to pursue college over an arranged marriage.

But, back to my brother, to me he’s even god like, so perfect. It is why I had to block him out for years, just to survive. But, that’s for later in my journey. Let’s begin when he was born.

December 24, 1971, Shabaz or Bazi, as we call him came into the world. Before his arrival my world revolved around my parents and my sister, Shala.

But then, Bazi! His great entrance! He was like the male version of Snow White. Skin as pale as snow, blue eyes the color of crystal, a tuft of beautiful brown hair. I was mesmerized with my little brother. I couldn’t kiss him enough, or grasp his tiny fingers and hold them in my hands. I had to be around him all the time.

My strong emotions surrounding Bazi, just filled my heart. It was exploding with such happiness, such contentment which would only continue to grow. He exceeded every expectation possible.

We were in this country a couple months now after moving from India and still living with my aunt and uncle in their two bedroom home in Seattle. It was crammed, their family of four and now our family of five.

There were no complaints. My aunt and uncle’s generosity never wavered. And, we were all so happy.

I was continuing to thrive in the environment. I would struggle with walking at times, but I was getting healthier. I would catch glimpses between my parents, smiles, and looks of relief when I would make it an entire day keeping food and water down.

And, there was even more good news. My dad had secured a job as a state auditor. As always, the protector and hero came through. As I shared in an earlier blog, my parents barely had any money and no health insurance. But, by the time Bazi was born it was covered.

My father was working very hard to support his growing family.

The forever fighter, a natural born leader.

His background is in business, specializing in accounting. He only had an entry level job, employed for only two months.

But, then he uncovered something. Something so rattling it would change the course of many lives.

True leaders, though, always do the right thing, despite the consequences. Even if those consequences could mean putting the ones you love the most, your own family, at risk.