Teary Eyed at times but Glowing with warmth - Three Thousand Stiches – By Sudha Murthy

The only reason I started reading this because Joyee my daughter is a great fan of hers and I was in a different world after finished reading Sapiens for almost 4 days. Reading Sapiens was like getting handover from GOD on what happened in past and what to look forward to in future. I perhaps needed some human touch – I had an option of Murthy or Chitra Divakurani. I am thankful I picked up ‘Three thousand Stiches’.

It was one of the simplest book I have read and I guessed why my children loved reading her books. But simplicity does not mean it does not have character – except for a few which I felt more for education/awareness like “I can’t We can’ which talks about AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) or ‘A powerful Ambassador’ which talks about Bollywood and it’s impact outside India, ‘A day in Infosys Foundation’ which explains the contradictions / challenges one faces as a social entrepreneur most of them had a simple message told in a way she would have told her grandchildren.

I was so happy that Joyee (my younger daughter) reads it because as I read it I could feel what the DNA of a simple and honest life should be, what good upbringing means, how principles and values can be instilled in the family especially your children. How you can challenge the current norms of society and lead a life with passion from age 17 to age 67. It does not matter where you are born and where you study if you can instill strong values in your children they can go where their passion takes them.

My two best stories

Three thousand Stitches, which explained professional challenges of being a social worker if I may call her that and it took her almost 15 years to achieve what she wanted to do for the devadasi’s. What it takes to win the trust of a community, it’s not just about money which you are donating but sharing the problems and empowering people to find their own solutions. 

A life unwritten, which explains how her father (who I felt had a great influence on her) was posted in a village in pre – independence era and how she helped deliver a baby in a small hut with no electricity and no prior experience of delivering a baby. How he gave all his money to her and told her to go become a nurse and not give up in life after he heard that the baby and the girl will be killed. The fact that she wrote this store after 50 years (assuming she wrote it now) shows what impact that would have had on her. 

Life is all about learning from experiences, we are what we are because what we have gone through. With a frenetic life, we live these days; it’s so important to close our eyes, pull back and retrace our path to understand from our mistake or a touching experience – like reading this book. I went back in time and recollected things which I never did for a long while. Time spent with my parents or story telling sessions / walks / drives with my children who are away in boarding. I hope I have been a good father and instilled in them values which will create another Sudha Murthy. 

When I closed the book I almost felt she is my role model and I should send a mail to her saying if I could work with the foundation in whatever capacity I can.