This Women's day, celebrating the girl child, India's woman of tomorrow

This Women's day, celebrating the girl child, India's woman of tomorrow
 

Every night, I ask them tough questions about Math, English and Science.

They in turn fox me by asking tougher questions about life, goodness and kindness.

“Papa – why do you break the signal? And why then, do you pay the cop?

You ask us to be content and not change our bicycle.

Why then every 2 years, do you change your job?

What exactly do you do in your job?” (ummm….tough one, lemme think…)

“Why do you spend so much time on Facebook?”

To the world outside, it’s easier to get away with generic answers like,

The power of social media, the relevance of your online avatar,

The reach of the digital medium, the advantages of networking.

To the kids at home, it’s much difficult to decode this hot-air into a simple answer about

Why do I spend so much time on Facebook?

Every night, I narrate to them feel-good tales about the Sun, Moon, Stars, the Gods and Angels.

They in turn ask me feel-real questions about humanity and love.

“Papa, while you have a holiday every Saturday and Sunday, why does the maid in our home comes every day?

Why do you spend so much time in the shower? Why can’t you use a bucket instead?

You say that Gods are basically our friends, why then we can’t take cameras inside temples?

Why can’t we click our snaps with our favourite Gods and post the pictures on Facebook?”

Every night, I introduce them to various domestic and wild animals.

They in turn ask me, “Why then do we cage animals? Why do we eat them?”

Yes, every night, I try to take them to a wonderful world of fantasy.

They in turn, bring me back to the real world, and most often unfair world we live in.

Every night, I try to make them feel-good. In return, they try to make me Feel.

Every night, I try to make them Science geniuses, Math Whizkids and English experts.

In short, every night, I try hard to make them super-human.

They in turn, simply cut the crap, and try to make me Human.

Every evening, the leader in me, returns home with a great sense of accomplishment.

Every night, the small wonders at home, make me realise, how trivial my so-called achievements have been.

Every night, is yet another reinforcement of the fact that “Child, truly is the father of a man”.

Every night, as I talk to them about the grandiose ways we can change the world;

They bring me to face with the fact that the real change has to start within.

Every night, the smart dad in me tries to teach them the ways of life. The Art and Science of Living.

The young ones, in many subtle ways, re-introduce to me, the lost art of Loving.

Every night is yet another starry, dreamy-eyed time of learning and fun for them.

Every night I teach them. Every night, they educate me.