On the 22nd morning, I was attending the first anniversary function of SAMRUDH, a voluntary association ,in Manipal, which helps mentally challenged people. It was started by Sadhana Kini, her son has the same problem. I go there some days every week to help.
One of the chief guests said this,  ' When we enter the world,we cry and others laugh,but we should leave the world in such way,that we should go with a laugh and others should cry'
  When he said this,I don't know why,I remembered my grandfather,my father's father.
He passed away 28 years ago,but he still lives for me. He has influenced us in so many different ways.  No person is perfect,he must have had his plus and minus points, but,when we like or love a person,even if we know their minus points,they are not important.  But if we don't like someone,we ignore their plus points and give importance only to the negative ones.

  What I remember most about ajja,is story telling,we used to sit around him and he used to read aloud Ramayana,Mahabharata,Krishnavatara and so many other stories.I can still see him in the green cane chair and reading to us. I think because of that, reading aloud to my children.
Ajja used to buy Amar Chitra Comics for Ravi and tell him the story. Even before he could read, Ravi knew all the stories by looking at the pictures.

Ajja used to write letters regularly and he expected us to reply,we used to do that,and if there was any mistake, in the next letter he used to tell us what it was. I don't know why I always used to make a mistake with the word 'very' and very patiently he used to tell me that 'very' is spelt as 'very and not wery'.
I still have some of ajja's letters with me. He never used to write the date of the day when he wrote the letter,but of the next day.  I have his last letter with me,which he had dated as 31.1.80. He passed away on 30th night.
I had written to him that I was learning tailoring, and he wrote to me,card dated 31.12.79, that when he comes next to Bombay, I should stitch for him two banyans and a shirt.

When I was in 6th std,ajja and I made a scrap book about Munich Olympics,we stuck all the paper clippings about the olympics. I still have the book, with ajja's writing in it.
Ajja was very particular about me putting 'bottu' he would never allow me to be without a bottu. It has become so much a part of me that I cannot be without a bottu.Before bath I don't put one, and I always think if ajja was here he would tell me to go and put one immediately!!!

He was very particular about time,even a minute made a difference, I can still see him going this side and that side and looking at his watch every second if anyone was late. I think appa and amma always used to tell him  a later time,than the one at which they would come.He would be very happy that they come early!!
Ajja alway used to tell 'A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING AND EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE'
I don't know about others, to some extent I do follow it,but this trait is very strong in doddappa and Aravinda. 
Another was about the word WATCH    word   action  time or truth   character   health

    Ajja always used to distribute pieces of dosa or rice to birds, we do it everymorning. Two or three types of birds and even squirrels come to eat them.

Ajja is used to go very regularly for his walks,sometimes we used to go with him and he used to tell  us so many things, I remember in Bombay,Karthik was a baby, ajja was carrying him, we had gone for a walk and ajja was showing him everything and telling him the names. Ajja was fit and healthy,physically and mentally till his end.
 
Every day after lunch or dinner he would put a pice of banana in our mouth.
He used to drink very,very hot coffee,it had to be steaming hot,holdig the glass with his towel,he used to sip the coffee saying that we should eat coffee and not drink it. I think that must have affected his taste buds  a little.he used to mix chutney,honey,sugar and ghee to eat with dosa or idli!!!.    He loved sweets,thank God he never had diabetes, if there was no sweet he would eat a piece of bella.
He taught us so many shlokas,every evening,sitting with we used to tell them. Even now my favourite shloka is'Benaka,Benaka'. When we were in bed, he used to sit near us and patting us he would say the shloka,  'shuddha brahma,paratpara rama......'
I think after listening to the 9'o'clock news he would retire for the day.
Ajja loved keeping in touch with all his relatives,he must have influenced so many people.
Ajja was the head master of he Govt High school,Hospet, till his retirement.     
I think we ,  all his grandchildren,are all very lucky to have had such an ajja.