baggage

Amma's old suitcase held more than clothes. Inside lay yellowed Thiruppavai verses, the prayers her grandmother chanted during winter mornings in Chennai. My mother carried them across oceans, unpacking traditions in a quiet apartment. I discovered them while packing for college. Each Sanskrit word felt like a bridge, connecting me to ancestral voices. Amma taught me the melodies, our voices intertwining across generations. That baggage became my anchor. The prayers taught discipline, resilience, the earning of blessings through devotion and community care. Now I share these verses with friends, watching understanding bloom. Some baggage deserves carrying forward.