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Letter to Avnish on his Birthday
I want you to know some things about yourself that others may not know.
One day I may not be here to tell you how proud I am of you. Therefore I’ll write it down and put it in a book for you to read when you’re older.
Dear Avnish,
How can I even begin to thank you for your happy presence in my life?  Our first encounter on 13TH September 2014 at the orphanage was the start of an adventurous journey into the unknown. If no one was going to adopt you, I would – was my thought. All I knew was that I wanted you to be part of my life. I had no understanding of the mountains I would need to climb to gain legal custody besides the social stigma of a young unmarried male wanting to adopt a child.
Ever since your homecoming into the Tiwari household, it’s been 4 years of exciting challenges – a roller coaster of sorts. The roadblocks of day-to-day living, and understanding your needs (health – both physical AND emotional), continue to be my primary concern. There is a saying “Child is the Father of Man” – So true – the amount I have learned is unimaginable. Patience, Humility, Positivity, and the desire to understand OTHER’S pain FIRST instead of waiting for others to understand MY pain. AND most importantly, the POWER OF EARNEST PRAYER – has only strengthened with each mountain we have climbed together. No doubt, it is being tested severely in different ways each day BUT my belief in LIFE’s LIMITLESS POTENTIAL remains unshaken. As a Buddhist sage said, “the greater the hardships befalling him, the greater the DELIGHT he feels because of his strong faith”. You, Avnish, have taught me to feel DELIGHT amidst the darkness I experience occasionally.
You have taken on the mission to exhibit the MAGNIFICENCE of LIFE. How can millions worldwide become happy amidst the daunting challenges they face? The subjects that needed addressing on Earth, in today’s scenario were many. However, you decided to specialize in  ‘Abandonment and Down Syndrome’. By making me the conduit, you showed me the path that Life at all levels is interconnected and it is the Heart that matters. And with a courageous heart, the impossible can be made possible – this was evident in the way you quietly and without a fuss simplified the medical staff’s work by gladly allowing them to do the relevant tests & administering medication despite experiencing tremendous discomfort in the ICU. Your patience was truly admirable & the doctors were amazed at your recovery.
Meeting with accomplished individuals nationally and globally became a possibility because you had lit the fire in my belly. As Howard Thurman (mentor to Martin Luther King) said :
“ DON’T ASK WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS.
ASK WHAT MAKES YOU COME ALIVE AND GO DO IT.
BECAUSE WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS IS PEOPLE WHO HAVE COME ALIVE”.
Avnish dear, were it not for you, I would not have “come alive”, and would never have known the pain of a mother & father. My desire to continue to discover the joys of life together with you has begun afresh with your birth month.
Look forward even more eagerly,  to our travels to Light the Lamp for many others, within India and the world at large.
Much love and hugs