As a mother of a tween girl, I'm being introduced to new-age vocabulary these days. New words, new phrases, new reactions, and whatnot!
Two words that D uses often are "whatever" and "doesn't matter".
Sometimes in the middle of a serious conversation, she would give an "I don't care" reaction with one of these two words. While it is funny mostly, it does get irritating at times. On one such occasion last weekend when she used "whatever", I asked her, "Why do you like this word so much?"
She replied, "Mummy, this word is so powerful. Let's say, a problem comes. If you are not scared and you say "whatever" to it, the problem will feel roasted and run away".
I was taken aback as it was that thathuvam (philosophy) moment that often happens at our home!🙂
Isn't this "whatever" attitude in a way helping to cultivate a mindset of equanimity - a state where we swing to neither extremes of becoming jubilant when something good happens or depressed when something bad happens?
This attitude is also helpful when we get unexpected reactions from others or unexpected situations to handle, without dwelling too much over it.
Our children can offer unique perspectives that we may not have thought of. As long as we keep the channel of communication open with them without forcing our own beliefs, we might end up getting the insights we most needed to hear.
In another context, I got roasted yesterday while having a cup of coffee in the afternoon, after giving a lecture to K in the morning about how caffeine interrupts sleep😉 Lecture inspired by the current read - "Why We Sleep" by Mathew Walker. K and D are always subjected to little summaries from the books I read - stories, insights, thathuvams, quotes, etc. They would remember them vividly and give it back at the right moment if I deviate from what I say!🙂
P.S. "Roasted" is yet another tween word, used in the context of the feeling when you intend to make fun of someone but he/she ends up making fun of you.