The Tree of Attachments

Describe a family member.

Now, that I think back, it was truly a beautiful day. My grandfather loved his typewriter. It was after all the latest typing technology of his time; he had spent his entire professional life as a journalist with it. By this time computers had started appearing in houses of people, but my grandfather loved his typewriter.

There he was in his study room typing on his typewriter. The afternoon sunlight poured in through the window.

I do on several occasion miss that clack and ding sound of the typewriter.

“You know what is the best thing about a family,” he spoke as he stopped writing, I looked at him and he continued, “a family is like this huge tree with an old bark and branches which seem endless, we are the leaves and fruits that grow on it. It doesn’t happen in a day or two, it takes years. We must never let it whither.” He looked at me and smiled, maybe hoping to see a hint of understanding in my eyes and then he resumed typing. It was truly a beautiful day. The typewriter to this day remains where he had kept it with his very hands.

I have truly been fascinated by the thought, always trying to imagine myself standing beneath that huge tree, looking up at the branches, leaves and fruits. But I could never imagine myself on it. Why was that? Was I the fruit that had fallen away just too far? As I looked around, I saw it wasn’t just me, it was my cousins and few earlier generations too. Now I know what had happened, time had changed… world had changed.. the society we live in had changed. It may have happened for the better or for the worst, but there was no denying it.

The tree had stood its time and I am glad we fell away from it but it never broke apart because of us. The generations that went into its growing was strong and vibrant and together. It still remains green and strong within my heart.

Family members have long been defined by the blood that connects them or marriage alliances. But, what I feel is that these definitions have started wobble in their places, almost falling out. In today’s world a person who is literally a family can be as apart as any other stranger and a person who is not literally a family can be closer.

Let alone joint families becoming scarce, it has become a challenge to hold together even a small nuclear family together it seems.

These challenges, the consequences of the great modern world have inspired people to move beyond their bloodlines to explore human bonds further. A friend who may seem like a brother or sister, a neighbour who seems like an aunt or uncle or even a loving grandparent. The time has come when bond defines a family member more than anything else. There may no longer be many huge strong trees growing anytime soon but there are surely many fascinating small ones withstanding strong winds and rains.

Written by Anuran Chatterji

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