Kids and Elders

Reyan passed his kindergarten exams, the first step of his studies, and that too with flying colours leading to a wave of happiness among all at home. It was a big reason for smiles after so many months of dad leaving us. It was the first time that all were smiling and happy, the reason being the first achievement of the youngest member of the family.

To celebrate his success, I asked him what he wanted. To which very innocently he replies, “Mujhe black chocolate pastry khanni hai bas.” So simple is the happiness of these angels living among us, a single pastry bas itna hi.

This struck a chord in my mind and gave me food for thought — How easy is it to be happy if we all start living in the present! The kids and the elderly are the perfect example of living in the present for us as they are neither happy nor sad for anything that happens in their own life they are just ok with it. They don’t celebrate their own success, they don’t mourn the losses of life also. Missing Dad… not really as I remember him every day, and not even a single day passes by when he is not remembered.

…One thing that struck me was the word ‘expectations’. There are a lot of articles that talk about how this one word is the root cause of all problems in everyone’s life. As it is said that when expectations start and happiness ends. The same is the lesson that Reyan, and dad in his later years, taught me. Reyan’s indifferent approach towards his success and the way dad used with any situation, gave me a clear insight that life is all about being in the present moment. I still remember the words dad used to speak, “Neki kar dariya mai dal” — this was his all-time favourite line.

People will come and go, memories will be made, lessons will be learned, and time will fly with lots of good and bad, but the person who is always mindful and lives in the present seldom gets affected by these.

You were right, dad, it is the burden of parents’ dreams that breaks the kids and their mindful nature as the pressure that society has laid down on the kids through this the rat race of marks. It is a dangerous race that has swallowed a lot of kids.