Homegrown Zen.

Mother.  

This word has brought a new identity to my existence. The creator of my motherhood is 'Ananya'. She has mothered me despite of being my first born child. Ananya in Sanskrit means ‘unique’. Could I have searched any other name for my offspring? She has stood true to her name in totality. Do you think it is naïve of me to say that Ananya is smallest but steadiest teacher?  She gives significance to the phrase ‘a child gives birth to a mother.’ Spending 18 months with her now, I have known so many good as well as not so good things about me. In her small ignorant gestures she makes me learn so many lessons that too unknowingly. I am not saying she is a super kid…an extraordinary child; Ananya is a happy child with many facets of living a cool, less stressful and a brimmingl life.   

                                             

Ananya was born just when we were supposed to shift to a different apartment in the same city. So when she was just 14 days old, we shifted our house. Everything went fine. We had a new beginning.  And Ananya got a better neighborhood and a better location to grow up. We shifted from Indirapuram-Ghaziabaad to Greater Noida. The air was fre It was 9 months of Greater Noida, and then we had to move again. We shifted to Pune. As parents we always want Ananya to see people, characters and be receptive to change.The air was fresh and had open spaces to meander. Carrying her in our arms we led to a new and better living. Because of this attractive package in our Godi, she acted as a catalyst for us in making and maintaining friendships. And so she is. Pune welcomed her too. The cool weather, open space all workedin her favour.

As a child ‘persistence’ is what she preaches the most. She must have fallen N number of times from her bed, her stool, her chair, my lap, her car seat but she never gave up. Now too when I see her playing with a very ordinary toy or an object of interest, she is so engrossed that she almost detaches herself from her surroundings, her relations and only focuses on her play.  Now for me concentration has become rare commodity. But Ananya …she teaches otherwise. Likewise, it is so easy for her forget what happened the very last moment and enjoy the coming instant.  It takes me days, months &; years to forget what went wrong and still go on with my daily life. But Ananya naturally deletes her cookies and looks forward to making fresh ones. 

The other mothers from nuclear families will agree with me, bringing up a child is not an easy task. Somewhere down the lane one tends to loose temper, and shout or throw a tantrum. She goes through all that as a child and still comes back to me for me to caress her and tell her that everything is fine.  

You are my 'nanhaa babboo' and no matter how mischievous you are or how angry I am you will always be loved. As a grownup, if someone has spoken ill of me or has behaved badly with me or with my family or friends, it takes me no time to first give them a piece of my mind and then amputate them from my system. She accommodates anyone & everyone inspite of their immorality.

Unconditional love is best demonstrated by Ananya. Whether it be Shardatai (our domestic help),Umesh Bhai (our washerman ), Khushi (neighboring building’s watchman’s daughter),Jagdevi Tai (our sweeperwoman)…she is friends with everyone. Not only that, she makes them feel special because of her association with them. Such a petite body and mind to have so many fine functions.Not only that it does not matter to her if people are good or not really nice to her parents or her extended family. She maintains her own ratio, her own equation, her own balance with them. She smiles and plays with them. I appreciate her rapport that is so boundless. 

May be that is why children are called pure souls, angels sent by God to remind us that goodness and kindheartedness are merits that will prevail for a long time. So we better not brush them away from our sleeves. History proves, human race has ended but humanity has still prevailed.  As we grow up our pure souls also transform into the manipulative, selfish & self centered us.  Childhood hence could be termed as best time for fructifying children as there is less of ill ego and more of bestowing traits to render. Well, my little pedagogue has just pooped, and is crying for attention. At your service my Lilliput teacher!