Learning comes in all forms and from various sources. Children can teach us a lot about spontaneity. They don’t plan or think too much but they are happy being alive in the present. A couple of weeks back, I was in a dull mood for no reason. It was a Saturday afternoon. The rain clouds were playing hide-and-seek. We didn’t step out, fearing the traffic. The afternoon was spent, just lazing around with my daughter D. She should have sensed my restlessness and all of a sudden, she decided to play with her dad. I felt claustrophobic at home and wanted to get some fresh air. I took the keys and stepped out of our home immediately. I went to the terrace and took a short walk. The sky was beautiful, the breeze was cool and strong, there were mild sounds of thunder rumbling from somewhere across the city and of course, there was the usual line-up of cars, honking right outside my apartment.
Suddenly, I heard a drizzle somewhere nearby but not a raindrop on my head yet. Within a few seconds, the rain clouds covered my locality and started to pour. It was an amazing sight to witness how the rains traverse and cover an area in a matter of a few seconds. I had hardly spent around 10 minutes in the terrace but that was more than sufficient to elevate my mood. I felt upbeat after coming home and then relished a juicy banganapalli mango.
Lesson learnt - when the mood feels dull, step outside and get fresh air. Admire nature’s blessings. Keep your phone at home.
This second incident happened a few days back. Thanks to my Amazon Kindle, I started reading this Tamil classic “Ponniyin Selvan” by Kalki. Ever since I stepped out of school, I have hardly read any classic Tamil literature. Though I have read a few health-focused Tamil books in the past few years, they were easy to skim through and digest.
“Reading books before bedtime” has become a routine at home ever since D turned a year old. Earlier, I used to read to D but ever since she started reading on her own, she doesn’t ask me much unless she wants my attention. So on one of those nights, D was reading her “Magic Pot” while I was reading “Ponniyin Selvan”. Though the story started off on an interesting note, I found it hard to absorb the literature. The words needed more attention and concentration. As though she sensed my predicament, D turned to my side and said, “Mummy, why don’t you read loudly? I’ll listen to you”. The next 30 minutes were pure bliss. I just loved reading aloud the part where the author describes the magnificence of Veera Narayana lake. I’m sure those who have read the book will be nodding their heads now :-) How I missed the beauty of my mother tongue in its pure, unadulterated form! Thanks to my daughter, I rediscovered my interest.
Lesson learnt - Listen to your kids. They are the best teachers and healers.
Posts
