Girls Visit: Shopping Delight
What is it that we enjoy about shopping?
And why do we like doing it together?
No trip to India would be complete without shopping, especially when our daughters are involved. In our corner of the sub-continent, it means beautiful textiles, woven and embroidered in every combination of colors. I had done only a moderate amount of shopping prior to our girls’ visit, because there are only so many suits, shawls, and scarves one woman can wear, even in fashion-conscious India.
So here was my chance to do some serious shopping! 
Our local merchants, eager to help us feel at home, offered us chairs and chai. They showed us piles of embroidered shawls and scarves, many with detailed handwork. The type of wool our part of the world is famous for, “pashmina,” is feather-soft and light, but amazingly warm.
How often will Anna and Mary wear the lovely garments they carried home in their duffle bags? Probably only on rare special occasions. But that wasn’t the point. I loved seeing the delight on their faces as they gazed at the colorful stacks and racks in the shops. 
I found that, despite the many years I’ve known them, I couldn’t always guess which fabrics or shades they would choose. It was a joy to experience the chai and the bargaining together, and to share appreciation for the unique artistic tradition of this part of the world, a place I’m learning to call “home.”
Posted in Uncategorized by Lisa