Down the memory lane

My children would often pester me, " please ma, tell us about your childhood days in Shillong. They simply love to listen to stories like how I grew up in the rugged surroundings with beautiful hillocks, and streams. I still distinctly remember the season flowers adorning the flowerbeds in all neighbourhood houses, which spread riot of colours all around. Some of the flowers which I remember are dahlia, sweet peas, snap dragon, Zarbera, poppy, Zinia, gladioli and of course varieties of roses. My children particularly love to hear about the fruit laden trees from which we used to pluck ripe plums, pears, peaches, apples, and so many other fruits, which they never heard of. Our regular trip to the berry farm to pluck and relish the juicy berries is still etched in my memory. How I wish my children could grow up in such pristine surroundings! I am trying my best to make our barren locality as green as possible and fortunately, through rigorous planting of trees, our surrounding is getting greener with a huge fruit laden olive tree, and trees like bakul, custard apple, orange, mango, and banana. One beautiful gulmohar tree, which is bearing flower this year, becomes the activity center for varieties of birds. My children enjoy sitting at the balcony enjoying the cool breeze and listen to the chirping of birds. I am happy that at least, they too have become attached to the trees around us and don't want to shift to a new house leaving these trees behind. I want them to remember that they too grew up in a green surrounding and this way they can convey the message of greening our environment to the future generations with more conviction.