To my dear daughter Sahana,
Some day when you read this letter, I want it to remind you of how much you are loved. First of all, I named you Sahana because you have taught me and your dad patience. I have waited patiently and long to hold you in my arms and never let go of you. I will protect you fiercely, guide you gently, love you unconditionally, and teach you everything I know. Your dad is a very smart and loving man who works as an engineer and loves taking things apart and fixing anything and everything. So I am sure he will teach you to be a strong, independent girl who will take on the world by storm. Your dad can find humor in the littlest of things and this is what I love about him. I pray that you will inherit some of his wit and humor. I myself am a school teacher and am honored to mould the minds of little children, to teach them how amazing this world is and help them become mature, responsible adults. I have many other interests including love for travel, music, and reading. I hope to introduce you to so many different places all over the world and help you fall in love with people and their cultures and also learn to adapt. I hope to instill in you the love of reading which can transport you faraway imaginary worlds from the comfort of your own room. Music can be so therapeutic and bring healing in times of stress and the love of music can also bring people together. My faith has kept me solidly grounded and prevented me from stumbling. I have also made many mistakes in life and have learned to get back up again and go forward. I pray that through my experiences, I can teach you to avoid the same mistakes I made and yet feel free to be independent and venture out on your own.
Our journey of infertility has been a long, arduous path and yet I will keep trying with every ounce of strength that I possess until I hold you in my arms. This has taught me perseverance and never losing sight of my ultimate goal of having you and your siblings. We have embarked on the journey of IVF to have you as our IVF baby. We hope to have you in our arms soon because of the high IVF success rates. I look forward to the adventure of motherhood. I hope that you too will learn to stand strong in what you believe in and learn the art of perseverance and being joyful at all times.
Your grandparents lived in northern India and moved here to Pune for job opportunities. Thus your 2 uncles and I were born here in this beautiful city of Pune. They have taught us to always be optimistic and to look on the bright side of things. So, I know that even when I go through dark days, there’s always a silver lining beneath it all. I want to instill that in you and be joyful at all times even when life throws you some curveballs. I want you to follow your passions and never lose that childlike faith in people around you. Give freely and never expect anything in return. Love the people around you. Learn to see things through their eyes and never give up on them. Many people are lonely and sometimes they just need a listening ear. More than giving them money, give them your time. When your grandparents first moved to Pune, everything was foreign to them including the language. However, the Bharshankar family helped them tremendously by opening up their homes to them and helping them adjust to life in Pune. Sadly, my uncle and aunty have passed away. We are forever indebted to them and still are very close to their kids Pinky and Lata who now have kids of their own. They too, along with your uncles, are eagerly awaiting your arrival. Always have a heart of gratitude and be thankful for everything you have. Learn to appreciate the simple things in life. Learn to forgive and learn to grow from your past failures, always looking ahead to greener pastures. Learn to laugh at your own mistakes and use your imagination to propel you to a brighter future. But most importantly, learn to love unconditionally. I have so much to teach you and can’t wait to meet you soon. I pray that you will always shine like a sparkling jewel attracting the people around you and spreading joy. I want you to know that I will always be there for you no matter what and will continue to love you forever.
Love, Your mom.