Children in their own inexplicable way end up teaching some of life's biggest lessons to us. The other day my son wanted me to play with him, while I was busy on my laptop. His pleas started getting persistent and I tried to shoo him away with different errands. So he got me a cup of water, arranged the cushions on the sofa and piled the day's newspaper and was back to ask me to play with him.
Again he started coaxing: "Mamma, mamma come to play na."
Me busy tapping on the keyboard: "Later, Avyukt"
Avyukt: "Mamma, come now"
Me (a little firmly): "Later. I said later right?"
Defiantly he says: "Later is now, mamma"
Those words struck a chord in me. We do postpone most of the things that we actually want to do to a later time. I will tend to my gardren - later. I will clean the cupboard - later. We'll watch a movie - later. Its never now. I guess we learn to postpone small things that bring us joy in the hope that once the bigger must-do's are done with we will find the time. But those things are never completely done and our small wishes remain just that - wishes.
I closed my laptop and without a word went to play 'train-train' with my son. We pulled the dining chairs in a row and had great fun. He was exhausted and asleep in about 30 minutes. I felt an elation seeing him asleep peacefully. All the laurels, hikes, letters of praise will not equal the simple joy of seeing a smile light up your child's face.
Again he started coaxing: "Mamma, mamma come to play na." Me busy tapping on the keyboard: "Later, Avyukt"
Avyukt: "Mamma, come now"
Me (a little firmly): "Later. I said later right?"
Defiantly he says: "Later is now, mamma"
Those words struck a chord in me. We do postpone most of the things that we actually want to do to a later time. I will tend to my gardren - later. I will clean the cupboard - later. We'll watch a movie - later. Its never now. I guess we learn to postpone small things that bring us joy in the hope that once the bigger must-do's are done with we will find the time. But those things are never completely done and our small wishes remain just that - wishes.
I closed my laptop and without a word went to play 'train-train' with my son. We pulled the dining chairs in a row and had great fun. He was exhausted and asleep in about 30 minutes. I felt an elation seeing him asleep peacefully. All the laurels, hikes, letters of praise will not equal the simple joy of seeing a smile light up your child's face.
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