I had the wonderful opportunity to visit India in 2019. My first stop was in Tiptur, Karnataka, about 3 hours’ drive west of Bengaluru. They speak a language called Kannada there. Hoṭṭe tumbide (sounds like “otay toombiday”) is a Kannada phrase that means “Full stomach”. When I learned the phrase, I had just finished a very filling lunch meal with 5-6 Karnatakan fellows, and while I indeed had a full stomach from the fantastic lunch presentation and meal, they helped me understand that hoṭṭe tumbide had a second meaning or connotation, that one’s life was full, a feeling encompassing gratefulness and peaceful satisfaction, one which transcended the fullness from the meal itself. I found myself feeling that hoṭṭe tumbide feeling, along with a desire to help others experience that feeling. It lent itself well to using it as a general greeting. The locals certainly found it engaging and positive.
The day we were there was an Indian holiday, and many families and children were everywhere, all dressed up and enjoying the gorgeous day together. As we were leaving the restaurant, I saw a couple getting themselves situated on a scooter with their little girl. No, it did not look safe to me, having been schooled on car seats as we are in the U.S. As I walked by them, I couldn’t help but lean over, smile, and tell them very quietly, “You have a beautiful daughter.” The little girl seemed to leap straight out of her mother’s arms and into mine – I was completely surprised by her move and really just caught her and scooped her up, glad that I didn’t drop her! I was even more surprised when she just put her little head on my shoulder. One of my business associates was quick with his camera, as you can see. What a darling girl and the parents were as proud as could be. In the part of rural India where I was, white folks were not a big chunk of the people I saw, and I thought she might be more scared than welcoming, but instead I felt like one of the family. Hoṭṭe tumbide. Gratefulness.
I am grateful for that wonderful moment of Grace.