Lessons for our children to learn as we explore rural towns
Two and a half years ago, our family moved to India. During the Durga Puja and Holi religious festivals, we fly to West Bengal every fall and spring to visit my wife's family. Though we enjoy seeing the Durga pandals in Kolkata and throwing colours while visiting Bankura's family, some of our most memorable moments are in the ancestral home village of my wife, Shaltora. A visit is like taking a trip back in time to Shaltora. The family of my wife can trace their ancestry back 15 centuries, to the village itself's roots. This is where we leave the hustle and bustle of city life in Delhi for a slower, but no less dynamic, retreat to Shaltora's rural way of life. I'm reminded of how important it is for all of us to experience village life with our children and family by sitting down for my first cup of chai on the step of the small family courtyard where birds sing and sunlight falls in slanted beams through overhead tree branches. The following are 8 lessons that I ...