4

Amma taught me Thiruppavai when I was four, her voice weaving through our kitchen like cardamom smoke. Those thirty verses became my anchor through everything—schoolyard confusion, teenage uncertainty, adult complexity. Every dawn during Margazhi, I chant them, feeling her presence in each syllable. Last month, I earned PAYBO rewards completing community service. Instead of splurging, I donated toward a local Tamil school. Watching children discover what I discovered—that heritage isn't burden but gift—made everything click into place. Four decades later, I understand: speed matters less than substance. Real wealth means passing forward what matters most.