A Letter from Grandparents to Grandchildren

My dear children,

I have been thinking of writing a letter to all of you for quite some time. It got delayed because I remained busy with various activities. You must be wondering—what could keep Grandpa so busy that it took him so long to write a letter! You will be happy to know that even at this age, I keep myself very engaged. In fact, I have started a mission—“Never Say Retired.” We elders should never truly retire; we must always remain involved in some meaningful activity. Only then can we stay physically and mentally healthy. Good health is the true key to success.

Now tell me, how is everything going with you all? Your mother must be after you about your studies—wanting you to be among the top three in your class. I too wish the same—that you perform well. But along with studies, do keep learning life skills—they will be very useful in the future. One more thing: pay special attention to developing good communication skills. When we grew up and started working, no one asked how many marks we scored in school. People judged us by our knowledge, and if we could present our thoughts effectively, success naturally followed.

Today, your mother helps you study at home. In our time, our parents were not very educated. For additional learning beyond school, we were sent to teachers nearby for tuition. From them, we not only learned subjects but also household discipline and good values. Even for college admissions, we often took help from elder brothers or people in the neighborhood. Very few of us could pursue higher education after graduation, because earning a livelihood became necessary. At a young age, we would start accompanying our fathers to the shop or begin learning office work. But today, children, you have many options. Start thinking carefully about your career from now itself.

We did not have the conveniences that you have today. Very few families owned vehicles. We either walked to school or went by bicycle. With almost no traffic, walking was safe, and pollution was not a concern. Today, school buses come to pick you up, and some children are even dropped off in private cars.

The pollution that troubles you today—some responsibility for it does lie with our generation. However, today’s lifestyle is even more responsible for it. The “use and throw” culture has harmed the environment greatly. In our time, we focused more on reuse and repair. Today, anything we need is ordered online. Think of the amount of packaging—boxes, thermocol, plastic—and how it contributes to pollution. In many well-off families, each member has a separate vehicle. This not only increases pollution but also worsens traffic conditions.

You are all intelligent enough to find solutions to this problem yourselves. You are already aware of how it affects health. Just last week, I read a report about Delhi stating that the air pollution there is equivalent to smoking forty cigarettes a day. Schools even had to be shut down. You must think deeply and work towards solutions. Only when your health is good will you be able to work, enjoy, and truly live.

Finally, we would like to give you some advice. Always respect your elders—whether they are your teachers at school or elders at home. Choose your friends wisely. Take care of those younger than you and show them love. Never forget your traditions and values. In both happiness and sorrow, always remember God.

We pray that God’s blessings remain with all of you always.
Lots of love and blessings from us.

Your grandparents