CHILD IS FATHER OF THE MAN! #Blogchatter #WriteAPageADay
There is this little
creature who is the biggest ray of sunshine in our lives. She came to us 36
years back, and when she opened her big brown eyes, my husband and I were over
the moon. It was as if we had been handed a bumper prize in the lottery. She
grew, year by year, and every year was a revelation to us.
Priyanka, our
daughter, is 36 today. Many years back, when she was born, our bond was
created, and it has only grown stronger with every year. As she gamboled around
with our beautiful Labradors, or invited her friends for a sleepover, or won
prizes at school in debating, extempore or essay writing, our hearts swelled
with pride.
She was the eternal
Pied Piper, and she would probably tell you today that her motley clothes did remind
one of him. However, her real talent was shepherding a whole lot of young ones
who would follow her around adoringly. She was the typical Army kid, well
mannered, sociable and full of beans.
When she found her
first job in Dubai and shifted there, we missed her. She lived in a tiny studio
apartment with a beautiful but grumpy cat named Rusty, who slept all day and
prowled all night. She went through the normal flings that teenagers go through,
and her job was fulfilling but strenuous.
And then it was time
for wedding bells to ring out, and she shifted bag and baggage to South Africa
with her brand-new bridegroom, whose entire family lived there as well. It was
time to open a new chapter in her life.
This is all about our
little girl who remains the sunshine in our lives.
However, when she turned
into a mother herself, with two adorable little ones, we got to see our little
one through new eyes. Even as a brand-new mother, she read up so much about rearing
children that it quite amazed us. We had been instinctive parents who learnt through
trial and error, more the latter most of the time. She knew exactly what she
was doing. I would sing to her when she was a baby, and she did just that, and
a lot more when she had her babies. She danced, read to them, created toys that
were tactile and sensory, and recorded all their milestones. She even had a
little box in which she stored her daughter’s keepsakes for a year.
From the start, birthdays
have been special for she makes them so. She chooses themes that they love,
creates costumes and props, chooses the right music (along with her better half
who is also a huge music buff!) and makes everything just perfect for the
little ones. During the pandemic, when her daughter’s special day came around,
she created a castle in their living room so that the little one would not miss
having her friends and family for her birthday.
When we go over to
them, it is akin to having a rainbow with all its glorious colours burst upon
us. When the little ones call us Mooma and Nana, and rush to hug us, the wonder
of having our daughter comes back to us, double-fold. And then our hearts with
pleasure fill, and dance over the African hills!
Today, on the 21st
of February, I wish we could be with her to celebrate her birthday. However,
she knows that we are there with her in spirit and that when we meet, we will
celebrate in all the little and big ways we can. God bless her, our little ray
of sunshine!
An endearing piece Deepti! May the parents and children continue to spread the sunshine in each other's lives!!
ReplyDeleteSuch a heartwarming read.. May you all live many many more beautiful years filled with love and happiness.God bless your lovely family 😇❤️
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