Dr. Uday R Shah initiated and carried forward the planning four months before. Dr. Jitu, Dr. Shubhash, Dr. Nila and Dr. Pragna made an organizing committee of five with Dr. Uday. They declared 11-Sep-2022, Sunday as the final date to meet and Surat as Venue, so all could plan accordingly.

List of Attendees

Making a list of all 75 batchmates was a very difficult task. All co-operated nicely and the perseverance of Uday made it a great success. 24 friends have passed away (making up nearly one-third of all), 18+ are abroad (mostly in the US) and 39 are here. Despite all sincere attempts, three could not be traced! They are namely: Damayanti Bhagwan, Manchharamani, and Sudha Kamath. I was instrumental in starting the list with my 13 friends from Valsad and was searching for Manjula Modi and Prafull More. 

On the 11-Sep-2022, Sunday meeting at De Villa Garden Restaurant, Surat, 37 members attended the gathering, some with their spouses making a total of 54. 

Emotions of Excitement

Emotions of excitement were at their peak. Nearly all attended traveling long distances from Akola-Pune in Maharashtra, and Vadodara-Ahmedabad in Gujarat. Actually, at 70+ age, we were curious to meet our batchmates to know about their well-being. Yes, our desire to compare ourselves with others was no less! We wanted to see how young and slim my friends remained. Ultimately, we were satisfied seeing all nearly the same. In a situation where we do not visit our neighbors, meeting these many friends together was simply a great pleasure. Elderliness teaches us to love all and when they are friends of childhood, things are surely better! Actually, we could renew our bond of relationship. This created a new desire to meet more frequently. Thank you, Uday, again and again. While meeting old friends, no formality is expected. So just seeing, meeting, and being together brings happiness and emotions of great feeling one cannot describe! Seeing only is believing.

Program

At 10:30 in the morning, we all gathered and sat in a U-shaped seating arrangement. Dr. Uday Shah and the organizing team welcomed all of us. The guest of honor Dr. Y B Mehta (83), our Physiology teacher, inaugurated the function by lighting a lamp and giving a short speech. Then we introduced ourselves one by one. The most important job was to have a group photo. The event was over with lunch and fellowship at 2:00 pm.

Our Medical Practice

More than 50% of us are family physicians doing general practice. Of the 'specialists', Gynaecologists and Physicians top the list. Few are Anaesthetists, General Surgeons, and Industrial Health Specialists. Radiologists, Psychiatrists, Preventive Medicine, Forensic Medicine, and Ophthalmologists are on a single digit of being one each . Interestingly, none of us became ENT specialists.

Marital Status

Of 75, three opted to remain unmarried, while six made three couples from the batchmates studying together! Yes, only one thought it prudent to have a divorce, but he got married again. Well, all others appear to be 'happily' married for around 50 years.

Valsad Group

My wife Dr. Bhavana Desai, better known as "Devyani" to her Valsad friends was super excited to meet her Valsad Primary school friend Rita and high school friends Alka, Vasudha, and Purnima. Vasudha being abroad in the US could not come, so all four friends were happy to meet and share their rarely available quality time. We can see their pleasure in a photo holding hands! She definitely missed her one friend Vasudha.

Statement of Accounts

We could see and meet our 37 precious childhood friends. We could just relive our old days again. We talked without a subject at times but could talk full of positive emotions and vibes. We could revive and find our friendship. Emotions of love, respect, and friendship show all-time great heights. With all these, I could make a new friend Dr. Viren Shah (our Ahmedabad colleague and husband of Dr. Shakuntala Patel). Meeting with friends staying nearby Sumant and Ashwin is no less a luxury. Before the meeting, we were meeting regularly and had a dialogue with Dr. Mahesh Patel, Hanif Lakdawala, and Ajit Borasia. Well, it was a rare day to find one! Thank you very much, Uday, Nila, Jitu, Shubhash, and Pragna for everything. Uday, only you can do this.

Present day thinking leads to breaking a relation on many occasions. It is undesirable but still natural. Don't get panicked about it; relax and think over the following:

We are social animals. We have friends and relatives. Being socially attached, we need and desire to meet them. So the question is: Where do you meet them nowadays?

Well, honest and multiple answers to this simple question are quite simple. Let me enumerate the list of present-day meeting places.

Your Relations/Friends and You!

Every relation has three possible situations:

1. Relation with both Love and Respect
2. Relation, but neither Love nor Respect 
3. Relation with either of the two: Love Or Respect

Now whatever one of the above three you find about any given relationship/friendship, the ideal approach is to respond all with love and respect in total.

Just try...

Thank the key people who made you what you are.

Prepare a list of first five persons who you think made you what you are, inform them and thank them. I am sure, you will not only have great pleasure and relaxation, but also a feeling you never experienced.

Now you know where to go for your problems.

Why and how should we visit our close relatives/friends? Close relatives are the best God-gift,. I would first like to talk about who they are, to start this article. They are:

• Parents
• Son/daughter
• Brother/sister
• Above relatives-in-law and
• Close friends

Continued from I, at 60

Before starting this story, I must admit, I have been accompanied by a brother before birth till today - a pair of twins. We are hardly comparable in any way or let me say, we are totally different in nature, look and attitude - we are always available to each other.

I had parents to guide me till 60, of whom I lost my mother a month back. My father is always available with his viewpoint to guide me in need on any issue with clarity of thought and without forcing to follow the same. I understand it as a great luxury many do not have.

A few days ago, my mother (84) passed away of old age. I had an experience of being in a state of sorrow due to her demise. The article is an outcome of experiences following the incidence. I did realize the need and importance of true consolation to the grieved person. So I thought it is prudent to write from the heart words giving guidance.


Condolence: It is expressing sympathy to a misfortune or bereavement (one deprived of relative because of death).
Consolation: To give comfort or sympathy to an unhappy person.

On the death of a close relative, a sudden gap is created due to the absence of that relative. Even the mentally strong person understanding every aspect of the event becomes shocked for a while. Here is the need of true consolation known as 'condolence.'