A Family Outing

A family outing is one of the many joyous occasions a family shares together. A family is what we identify with and though there are angry and sad moments, the happy moments make us forget everything but the joy of being together, under one roof.

I remember my childhood outings especially when my father was posted at Wellington. Ooty is a well-known hill station and to spend four years of your life there is a blessing. There were so many places to visit that, every long weekend meant family outing. Come holiday and we would rise early and get ready, picking our Frisbee and ball and helping our father load the car. Mother would have woken up much earlier to make our breakfast and lunch ready and organize the picnic basket with lots of treats. We would then quickly get into the car with little fights between my brother and me erupting on insignificant issues. At our destination, we would spread the “Darr and off load the items on to it. Mom would then get to stretch her legs after all the effort and Daddy would play Frisbee or ball with us. We would then click pictures, eat and drink, chat leisurely and walk around. My brother and I were fond of climbing trees and would be perched up till the call for lunch came. After a lazy afternoon siesta on the large expanse of trimmed lawns, we would head back home.

Family outings are a great way to bond. So many years later, I still think of those days with pleasure. Today, I am the mother and try to do my bit as my mother once did.