Aishwarya Hariharan Week #13: Brightest Memories
Brightest Memories
Memories. When I think of memories, several events flood my head. But the clearest one at the moment is certainly my cousin’s wedding. In February this year, I took two weeks of independent study to travel to India in what had been over 2 years. Not only was the wedding one of the greatest experiences and events of my life, but I was able to see and spend time with family that I hadn’t seen in over 2 years.
India started off with a week filled with doing independent study work and spending time with my cousins when they got home from school/college. Even though we had loads of work to do over the course of that week due to the fact that my cousins also took a week off from school for the wedding, we made the best of the free time we had that week by going to malls, movies, and arcades in the evenings. As the wedding approached and there was only one week left, our family started coming to Chennai from all over India. Thankfully, having finished all our work, I was able to spend 3 days just hanging out, binging movies, and catching up with family after going years without seeing them. As the initial ceremonies began 3 days prior to the actual wedding date, we were all hyped to make sure this wedding was as perfect as it could be for my cousin and her husband (now). We rehearsed for hours, practicing dances and songs we were going to perform the night before her wedding at the reception.
The night before the wedding rolled around, probably being the most beautiful event in the wedding. At around 6pm when it was getting dark, a live band performed, one boy singing several beautiful songs accompanied by a violin and keyboard player. After an hour of the band performing while the bride and groom took pictures with their guests, we had family members of both sides perform the showcases/art that they had made/rehearsed specially for the bride and groom. Some gave speeches, some danced, some sang, and some made slideshows of memories with the bride/groom. It ended with a delicious dinner and dessert bar along with the band playing one last song as the guests got up and danced their hearts out. It was insanely beautiful, one of the most memorable nights of my life.
As the wedding day came along, they tied the knot and they were husband and wife! Married at last, after days of ceremonies and preparations. It all came together and it was absolutely perfect. I’m not sure about the bride and groom but I wouldn’t have changed a thing about how that wedding experience was for me. As hectic as it was to make sure everything was always going as planned, this was easily the most beautiful wedding I’ve ever been to.
Although the 2 weeks I was in India were hectic, I had the time of my life and I was definitely happier than I’ve been in a long time. No matter how chaotic the trip really was, I got to go to malls, movies, and watch my cousin sister get married. I think I can easily say, I missed traveling to India over everything else I was unable to do due to COVID because it was a great challenge to go from traveling to India to see family and friends every year to having to go 2 years without any of it. COVID had its negatives, but I’m just thankful that I was able to be there for one of the most important days of my cousin’s life because getting married is certainly a big deal.
The wedding you described in your blog post honestly sounds like a Gatsby party! I can't imagine how hectic but exciting that must have been for you and your family. I am also glad you brought up a new positive perspective in regards to COVID-19. The pandemic really allowed us to appreciate time with family we are separated from a bit more and enjoy different gatherings we took for granted before. I hope your cousin is happily married and that this memory sticks with you for a long time.
ReplyDeleteHi Aishwarya,
ReplyDeleteSome memories can play so vividly in the mind that it is impossible to be expressed in words, yet you have certainly succeeded in sharing this incredible wedding experience. I am so glad that after two stale pandemic years and a stressful first semester, the power of such happy experiences still reminds us of what makes family and life so special. You have shown me that putting such experiences into words does not do it injustice, but rather keeps it more vivid and alive in your memory and soul. You have certainly inspired me to journal about my fond memories and current adventures. I may just find new appreciation for aspects of my life.
Hey Aishwarya, that sounds like an absolute wonderful memory to have, especially since weddings in India are always a huge thing. It highlights the importance of having beautiful memories like these, because it is like moments like these that will stick with us the most and matter the most in the end. My cousin is having her graduation in Boston in a couple of months and I'm going to have to miss that because of school and AP exams, and it's frustrating how many memories we have to pass out on sometimes because of other commitments that we have. These kinds of memories are only more powerful now since we missed out on so much because of COVID, so I'm really glad that you're able to catch up on some of those years missed now.
ReplyDeleteHi Aishwarya, just by your writing of the event, I can tell the wedding was phenomenal and memorable. The way you describe it showcases your euphoria about the wedding. With the COVID-19 pandemic also hampering my travel to India, I totally understand your trip being the highlight of your memories of the past few months. I am so happy for you, that you had the time of your life in Chennai and at the wedding. I am having to miss my cousin sister's graduation in India due to school constraints. With the pandemic preventing many possible memories from happening, the quote "you don't appreciate what you have until it is gone" is exemplified. When we can one day experience these lost memories once again, whether it is hanging out with friends or going on a long-awaited travel to India, these experiences become even more memorable than any other.
ReplyDeleteHi Aishwarya, the wedding you attended sounds like it must have been a blast. I always thought that Bollywood movies exaggerated Indian weddings until I actually attended a wedding in 2019 which blew my mind. The wedding I went to looked amazing and was in a huge venue covered in flowers. I saw at least one-hundred guests and each person was looked like they were enjoying their time. The performances done by the cousins were also very well choreographed. The food tasted delicious and everyone danced when the music played. It’s moments like these you remember forever and I hope I attend more weddings in the future!
ReplyDeleteHi Aishwarya! The wedding you described sounds so exciting! It is also quite impressive how you were able to recall everything with such immense detail. Some memories are so vivid, but it is quite intriguing thinking about why some of our memories are so easily forgotten while others are not. Everything that happened in the pandemic seemed to be blurry, as I forgot most of what happened. Why exactly does our brain not retain all our memories?
ReplyDeleteHi Aishwarya! Core memories like these are definitely pleasant to look back on, especially pre COVID memories. Over quarantine I also learned to appreciate these things more as well as the trips I've gone on. The things we can often take for granted feel most valuable once we lose access to them.
ReplyDeleteHi Aishwarya, I'm glad you had a great time at that wedding. It has been really hard to travel and experience new places during the quarantine, so every experience feels better than normal. Also, gatherings where tons of people meet and have fun have recently been more frequent and it is insane how under-appreciated they were before the pandemic. I guess no one knows how important something is until they lose it.
ReplyDeleteHi Aishwarya, thank you for sharing this fun trip and the wedding itself. The wedding you described sounded really joyful. Indian weddings definitely seem busy and packed with events. But, when everything goes as planned, it's nice to look around and see how happy everyone is and how perfect the event turned out. You described the scene so well, from the sights and sounds to the music and colors. I could also understand the connection to COVID. It is still hard for me to imagine that we’ve all been in lockdown and unable to travel to see family. It definitely makes trips more precious.
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