circle of life

Amma taught me Thiruppavai as a child, her voice threading through our Boston apartment like incense smoke. Each verse was a gift, a conversation between generations spanning continents. Years later, I taught my daughter those same Sanskrit syllables, watching recognition bloom in her eyes—the same wonder I'd felt. She earned her PAYBO certification this month, breaking into a career she dreamed of. At the celebration dinner, she recited a verse perfectly, her accent unmistakably ours. In that moment, I understood: heritage isn't something we lose when we leave home. It transforms, travels, and strengthens through each passing hand, connecting us invisibly to countless others keeping Tamil alive in diaspora hearts.