MEMOIR | THIS HAPPENED TO ME

My Grandma Taught Me the Secret of Time Management

Some healthy childhood habits die hard especially when fueled by coffee and loving memories

Old traditions and habits are rather like a cozy blanket. And for me, one of these is being an early riser. There’s absolute truth in the fact that waking up early usually makes your day go much better than if you don’t.

Constantly hitting the snooze button only leads to panic and the miserable realization that you’ve lost precious time — time you’ll never get back.

Then follows a series of adjustments in varying levels of difficulty and embarrassment.

Not nice, is it?

I come from a family of early risers

I grew up in a family where rising at 6:00 a.m. was considered “late”. Almost every member of the household in our joint family of twelve (I know, practically an assorted cricket team there!) woke up between 4:00 and 4:15 a.m. and went about their routine like clockwork.

While one drew rangoli in front of the house to welcome the goddess of prosperity, someone else got the filter coffee going. One person always had the duty of grinding the roasted beans the night before and filling the traditional steel filter with coffee powder.

The day began with the aroma of fresh filter coffee that the family actually sat together — on the floor — to enjoy. A pleasant ritual, appreciating the beverage and savoring every sip with some conversation thrown in.

The newspaper arrived at around 6:00 a.m., so everyone got on with their chores and activities. While my aunt, mom, and grandma took over the kitchen, often joined by one of my uncles who loved to cook, someone else got the big brass boiler going, to heat water. It had to be manually filled with water, started up, and stoked with fuel (coconut shells, wood chips, and dried cow dung), and monitored to ensure that the hot water kept flowing into the metal bucket for everyone to bathe. Not shower, because we did not have one.

While all this went on, either the radio or the tape recorder did its duty, filling the air with songs — often devotional, followed by film songs— with folks humming along. I am always pleasantly surprised to remember that whenever my mind wanders into those days, everyone in the family sang melodiously.

As the kitchen buzzed with prepping and cooking breakfast, and lunch, followed by packing lunch boxes for those going to work, my grandmother, the quintessential iron hand in a velvet glove, who orchestrated the household like a maestro, gave guidance with love and kindness, always complimenting every little thing. She cleaned the large puja room for prayer, chanting slokas to herself, and managed the folks. Often, without direct conversation. We knew she was addressing us when her voice went up a note as she continued to chant, even as we paused and she sign-languaged us and made herself perfectly clear.

If there were plans to make pickles, sauces, masala powders, and other items for long storage, it was my grandmother who did it all.

By 7:00 a.m., those who went to work left, and those at home enjoyed their second cup of coffee.

By 8:00 a.m. school-goers set off after a quick breakfast, usually curd rice (overnight rice mixed with yogurt).

By 9:30 a.m., the remaining lunch boxes were packed for the “dabbawala” to collect and deliver (we lived in Mumbai).

By 10:30 a.m. done with all their duties, those at home settled down for lunch — or brunch — the South Indian way. This meal would consist of a dry vegetable dish, sambar, rasam, rice, and curds with pickles and papad.

You’re probably wondering what they did the rest of the day.

Oh, they were busy. Tailoring, embroidery, mending, painting, cooking, sometimes shopping, visiting/hosting friends and relatives, and so on.

Those were the days when we always had houseguests. Anyone visiting our city was welcome to stay with us. They didn’t even have to let us know in advance. Some stayed for weeks.

So what’s the point of telling you all this?

Today, I continue the tradition of waking early, although obviously not at 4:00 a.m. unless I need to. I am guilty of sleeping late sometimes and know that terrible feeling of losing time.

But when I am up early, I manage to get more done during those two extra hours (before I return to the kitchen to cook and pack lunch that has to be ready before 8:30 a.m.) than during the entire day, sometimes — what with phone calls and doorbells and random visitors — the good ol’ perks of working from home.

During my college days, I would stay up late as the house was quieter then. Of course, we did not have mobile phones or the internet. Early morning studies were a little difficult, what with the busy kitchen — how could I sit and study when I’d rather be helping out? Moreover, I had to leave at 7:00 a.m. to get to my college on time and it seemed only fair that I did my bit. Also, my day started much better when I did that, thanks to all the laughter around the house.

It was the same when I went to work.

Ironically, I find it much tougher now despite having the privilege of working from home, when I really ought to be managing my time better. Sigh. Over the years, I have learned to be strict with boundaries, without which I can never meet work deadlines.

Those morning hours are the most valuable, especially fueled by a cup of strong filter coffee and my lists. The heady aroma is so conducive to clear thinking, with each sip making me believe I can accomplish anything.

I make no exception for the weekend, as I am able to get even more done on those mornings, without the pressure of having to be in the kitchen by 7:00 a.m.

Rising early is also obviously good for health, as it means one must go to sleep at a decent hour. I read somewhere that our body/organs have designated times for resetting themselves through the night, so if one slept very late, they’d be cheating those organs out of their appointment time to renew, eh?

So, yes, early risers are invariably less stressed and happier people who enjoy a sense of accomplishment, mainly because they’re one up — or maybe even two up on others, thanks to those extra hours.

If you are that person whose favorite way to start the day is by hitting the snooze button, think again. Life is passing you by. *wink* I would know!

When you rise early, you shine brighter. Just ask the sun!

Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles ❤ Did you smile today?

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