Complex Simplicity

Hi Aaliyah,

We had gone down to the park today as it was Sunday evening and we had no great plans of going anywhere else. We at this point of time live in the Cantonment area and everything about this place is great, greenery, close to nature, in the heart of the city, still tucked away from the craziness of a metro city.  Everything awesome, except the park.  Every swing is broken and sharp edges everywhere and no idea when they would want to repair it.  Even though its unsafe for not just you but all other children happily playing here, we make sure that you are safe.  

There is one swing which is not so broken and as you were done swinging and generally hopping around, I was just feeling so upset about the state of this play area and wondered when you would ever get to play in a nice place.  In between these thoughts I was just calling out to you, telling you not to pick things from the ground and I was also checking my emails on my phone. 

I suddenly paid attention to what you were doing and there you had collected a lot of twigs and piled them up like a Bonfire, a Bonsai one.  You jumped up and told me that you are going to light a fire there.  I was mighty thrilled at your ability to have fun out of almost nothing.  It was a huge inspiration too.  You knew how to be happy and not worry about broken swings or non-functional merry go rounds.  I took pics and BBMed it to your dad, for him to see.  There is so much to learn frm you Aaliyah and I hope you always remember that its so simple to be happy.

After sometime I proudly walked you out of the park and as we reached the so-called jogging track, you decided to play a little bit more and made a small mountain of sand and stuck a twig on top of it and said it was a birthday cake.  I was thrilled again.  You even told me that its my birthday.  You then asked me, how old I was and I looked around to see if anyone heard it and said in a very gentle voice that I was 33 years old.  You started to clap that many times and it really seemed longer than I thought.  Then you jumped and shouted in happiness and said wow mamma you are 33 years old and just then some people had to be walking by.

My little one, your simplicity is too much for me to handle :) so just remember to forget how old your mom is.  I will always be 23 years and a million months old :).

Milk Tutorial

Every weekday morning, its a sight to watch me getting you ready.  Infact every mom must be a sight because, no matter how early one wakes up, we are always late for the cab,  No amount of time is sufficient for getting you ready on time.  So, I am like, full focus on that one single glass on milk and hoping that by some miracle you will gulp it down in a minute.  Every two seconds  I am motivating you, scolding you, apologising to you for having raised my voice and begging you to finish and in all this, trying find that 'Cool...Calm...Compose!!!'   In short, I am a freak show. 

Often your Dad used to remind me that she needs to enjoy that glass on milk and drink and I would be like 'Pfft! Yeah right!!  Enjoy the milk?  Like that's ever going to happen'.  I would always dismiss his morning infoshare with utmost sarcasm and raise the glass to him, to be on the job and he would fall silent.

One Saturday morning, we all woke at the same time and I got the glass of Bournvita to make you drink.  My first line was going to be, 'Jaldi finish Kar do', out of habit.  Then I thought that since I am in no hurry to rush anywhere, let me try to do what your Dad suggested.  I said, 'No worries, aaraam se piyo'.  I am sure when you looked at me, you thought, what happened to the regular witch who used to come everyday?

You then sat on a raised level on a bolster and took the glass from me and held it like a mike and your posture and attitude and facial expression all started to change.  Suddenly you were a chat show host!  And I was the guest.   You introduced me to your imaginary audience and went on to say in a perfectly British accent (Thanks to cee bee bies)


Good morning everybody!!  My name is Aaliyah Kishore and this is MY beautiful Mamma.  Today we are going to teach you to drink this glass of milk and this is how you do it.  You need one glass, some milk and you do mix mix mix and you take one sip, and two sip and three sip...thrity seven sip.  And there you have an empty glass and then you do a big burp and then you all will clap for Aaliyah and have strong muscles and have dood ki shakti and live happily ever after.  Thanks you!!  See you soon..Byeeee.

You stood up and took a bow and I was like clapping away like you got the Nobel prize for the drink milk category.  We laughed and laughed and hugged and kissed and lots of love flowed after that. 

This was my first chat show ever. I loved every bit of it. Yes your Dad was right.  You did enjoy it.  I am sure I will still be running around like a headless chicken in the week day mornings, but I promise not to cluck loudly.  And yes, cant wait for the next show.