My Autobiography
Part 1 of my autobiography!!
I wrote this 2 years back and hope to keep adding to this.
My Birth
January 01st 2016 – New Year’s Day – as the world awakens and eagerly looks forward to the year to come, I sit up in bed and am immediately showered with hugs and kisses by my parents. It’s my birthday today. My name is Nidhi Sarah Johnson and I was born on this day, 10 years back. Indeed a new feeling to be moving from single digits to two. As I look back, thoughts and images flash through my mind like a video played back at high-speed. My mother sat me on her lap and reminded me that I am indeed a living example of the power of prayer.
I was born to my parents on January 01st, 2006, an event that will forever remain me and my parents. At the age of 3, when I was old enough to understand, my parents told me the story of my birth.
After my parent’s marriage, they had to wait 15 long years to get me. I was an answer to prayer. I was named Nidhi, which means treasure, by my grandmother, my loving Ammachi. “She is indeed a treasure from God”, said my grandmother, “and that will be her name”, she proudly declared. Oh what unbearable pain my mother had to go through to get me! That, and my parent’s unwavering faith in God, will always remain an example to me.
All my relatives came to see me on that eventful day. My birth was a very special moment. The doctors were amazed to see all the ladies and girls in beautiful saris and dresses waiting for me. “Are they here to attend a wedding?” they asked. “Oh this is more important than a wedding to all them”, said Dr. Ashraf. The long wait of 15 years had come to an end. On the other hand, they were also anxious about my mother‘s condition. The first person to hold me apart from my mother was my grandmother.
My Ammachi will always love me. She often tells me stories of my grandfather, my Appuka. I always feel sad that I was not able to see him. Ammachi told me that he was a proud soldier, a man of principles and of discipline, yet loving and caring. He went to be with the Lord Jesus Christ six and a half years before I came. I think he must have told the Lord Jesus Christ to send me to my parents! My parents have told me that he truly knew the pain they were going through and stood by them till the very end. I only wish I had been lucky enough to spend some time with him.
I am so lucky, because the year always starts with my birthday! The day I was born was very special day because that was the day when the power of prayer was once again proven beyond any doubt.
My Pre-School Life
At first it was all fun and games. Then, as I grew my life started to change. I came to know a lot more things. At the age of 3, I learnt that I had to be at a place that was not home. A “nursery”, they said. “What’s that?” I asked. “Is amma going to be there?” My thoughts were running wild. It turned out to be fun though. There were no studies and instead, a lot of time to play. The uniforms were also very nice. We had to wear a different colour each day. Red for Monday, blue for Tuesday, yellow for Wednesday – that a great way to learn the colours and the days of the week too! The days changed to months and it was soon time to “graduate” from nursery to primary school. Full of excitement, I walked through the giant doors of KGS and entered a formal class room for the first time. There, right at the door, stood an angel in white! My Tina ma’am – all so loving and yet firm. She held my tiny little hand in hers and gently led me to my seat. Tears flowed down my chubby cheeks when I had to leave those hands to move on. She will forever remain in my memory. I stand firmly today on the foundations that she, along with my Sheila ma’am, my KG-2 teacher, built for me. My parents have always taught me that teachers are my “parents” in school, and that they would play an equally important role in my life.
Middle School
Life soon took a more serious turn as I moved up the grades. I am now in Grade 5 and study at one of the CBSE schools. Fun and carefree days gave way to days with a lot more to study and a lot more responsibility.
I still have a long way to go but I know that the values that I have learnt – the power of prayer, faith in God and the importance of teachers – will always guide and shape me in the days to come.
Nidhi Sarah Johnson