My mother tongue, Tamil, has many beautiful words with no equivalents in English. One category of such words is the names of family relations.

Sharing a light hearted moment with your ‘athai’. Unapologetically clamouring for attention from your ‘thatha’ and ‘paati’. Pouring your heartfelt teenage troubles to your ‘chithi’. Teasing and playing games with your ‘mama’. These are all unique familial moments that are enhanced by the simple act of calling those relations by their specific names instead of the uniform, impersonal ‘aunt’ and ‘uncle’.

Regardless of the complications and troubles that family brings to our lives, the simple pleasure of calling someone ‘chithi’ or ‘thatha’ invokes an instant feeling of intimacy and belonging. In an increasingly lonely world, this is a reminder to self to be grateful for the gift of this language and to not take it or these relations for granted.