Girls and Boys

This is the new thing my daughter is saying -

"Girls Rule and Boys Drool" - picked up from 'Homeward Bound' movie's Sassy.

"Don't mess with Girls,

'coz they are special pearls'

- this one is her original, inspired by the new Vodafone ad about love tips vas service!

Best Time in the Universe

It's time to narrate one more philosophical revelation of my kids. This time it was what my 5yr old daughter told me.

It was after the dinner on terrace of our home on a full moon day. We had spent some time looking at the stars and we struggled to recognize and make new shapes of the shining stars. Vishu was looking at the patterns the headlights of the moving vehicles on the road far away were making on the still waters of the lake. When we were done, as expected, Anjali started her regular song.

"Daddy, I am very tired. Very sleepy.  (yawns with big open mouth to prove the point). I can not walk down. Please carry me"

I say nothing doing and she had to walk. But I exactly know how it would end. Just to prove my point I stress that I had to help Maggie clean up all the plates from terrace.  

"But Daddy. I am tired and sleepy" The second yawn comes out, bigger than the first one. "I can not climb down the stairs". Since the first negotiation step failed, she invokes the second negotiation step - starts crying slowly.

Maggie, who thinks that Anjali blackmails her daddy emotionally all the time, tries to give instructions to Anjali that she has to walk down by herself.

As expected, the crying intensifies and daddy relents, as Vishu's frustration grows. Because he has to help mom now carrying the plates down.

So, I carry her in my arms and she puts her head on my shoulders and says "Thank you daddy", with a kiss on my cheeks. My response was silence, busy trying to focus on the steps.

Then comes the question - "Daddy do you know what is the best time in the universe?".

I know very well that she already has an answer in her mind ready, otherwise the question wouldn't have popped out in the first place. 

I ask her - "what is it sweetipie?" 

A couple of seconds of silence and she says with a sleepy tone - "My life time Daddy."

I was speechless trying to understand the gravity of her answer. It has taken about 35 yrs for me figure that out about my life and there she was, all of 5 yrs and 6 months old, revealing her findings about life. 

Who teaches these things to the kids? What do they eat?

 

How the world would have been if....

It was time to tuck my 5 year old son under the blanket after a goodnight kiss. His eyes were wide open and he was perceivably absent minded in his 'hmm' responses to my pep talk. Sensing his mind was racing with thoughts, I paused and put my hand on his head and messed up his hair a bit to get his attention. He was quite. I slowly asked him - 'what are you thinking Vishu?'. His attention was still wandering in the silent woods. I was getting curious now, a bit bordering on a real concern. I again asked him, what was he thinking. His response came very quietly - 'Nothing Daddy'. But I knew there is something bothering him very deeply for he is not a kid of question-shy nature. I persisted with my patented 'father-son' talk and he finally came out with his question in a very quite, matter-of-fact way - 'Daddy, I am thinking how this world would have been if I was not born in it. Do you know?'. For once, I had no response for his question. I was overwhelmed with mixed feelings - should I feel happy for him that his thoughts are so deep for his age and he is understanding the true meaning of life - for all its glory how transient it is. Or should I feel sad that he may lose his innocence about life sooner than needed, resulting in ??

Its been almost 3 years since that goodnight kiss, he still amuses me with his out-of-the-world questions. He is every bit a headache like any 8 year old boy but also a darling of his parents.

My perspective about life.....

Living in the Moment

In Life,
There are plenty of things that matter
Plenty there are that do not matter.

If for you,
All that matters in life actually matters
And all that doesn't, actually doesn't
Then you are actually living in the moment.

And if for you,
All that matters in life, doesn't
And all that doesn't, does
You are completely lost
-Vengeance against the Spirit!

But if you,
Pick those that matter to you to matter and
Pick not them that don't matter to matter
- From all the matters in life -
You are living YOUR Life.

And,
Life is never custom made for us
But it offers choices - matters to matter and not matter
And we choose - unwillingly and willingly
And that's who we become in Life.

MSri
(I wrote this to a friend of mine sometime in Jul 2008)

First One

Well, here is the beginning. After many months of mental laziness finally I have decided to create my blogspot. And the challenge is to make myself write regularly on topics that matter and interesting. Hopefully in the process, I will be able to catch most of the transient thoughts that fly by and define a definitive shape to those unknown ideas in which I involuntarily invest incredible mind hours.
As my wife always says.....'it's always a new beginning'. After all these years, I know now that it always is.......