Letters from the Bangla alphabet surround a page from Borno Porichoy, produced in 1855 by the educationist Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar. It is the primer I learned Bangla from, as did generations of Bengalis before me.

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On Feb 21, the International Mother Language Day, I am hosting an open house to celebrate our mother tongues.

The mother language has enormous emotional meaning and plays a critical role in identity formation.

For immigrants, navigating rootlessness within or outside our 'home' countries, losing the taste of our own languages on our tongues is a unique pain.

And yet, the mother tongue remains an underappreciated theme in mental health conversations.

In this special live session, we will:

1. Read from our favourite books, sing songs, or make a wish in our mother tongue
2. Explore the power of giving and getting therapy in our mother tongue
3. Pledge to take one concrete step this year that brings us closer to our mother tongue

Once you register, I will send you a detailed email with the event format.

PS: This event is free for all. But my time and effort to create spaces like this are not. Please consider supporting me with whatever contribution you feel fair at checkout.

Ekushe dekha hobe, bondhu. See you on Feb 21, my friend.