A Piece of India

in the car on the way to the airport departure area

recently

to drop my older son off

(he departs to his new home base

which is several states away

and sorrowful to say ”good bye” which is really a “see you later.”)

I come upon a scene

which encapsulates

so much of what I love about the subcontinent

about India

a women

her car stopped at the arrivals entrance

comes out of the driver’s side of the car and makes her way around

to greet an older man there

standing curbside

she is dressed in traditional Indian garb

kurta and matching pants

(I noticed that right away)

and she approaches this man

he is standing there with such a bright, delighted

smile

across his face

and she leans down to briefly touch his feet

a sign of deep respect and love

he touches his heart in response

an exchange that bespeaks of centuries of such an unspoken yet fully expressed

honoring…

I don’t know for sure

but I would imagine and am almost certain

that she is his daughter

he, her father

and a timeless exchange of recognition, deep respect and love had just taken place

So, on this day

when my younger son (who is driving) and I take his older brother

to that place of exchanged blessings

the place of hellos and good byes

I had the good fortune to be privy

to this blessed exchange

to this deep honoring and joy

to this piece of India…

Annie Kiyonaga

May 16, 2026