From the dark to the dawn

Yesterday, my son was in tears because of some bullies on the school bus. He exclaimed, "My life is already miserable, and you don't understand me." Feeling offended, I took a deep breath to maintain composure. "How do you feel at school, at home, at karate class? Do you feel loved and happy?" I inquired. He began to calm down. "Things are good. I'm happy at those places. I have great friends there, and at home, I have you, Papa and my little brother," he replied. Softening my tone further, I explained, "So, your focus isn't in the right place. You're giving attention to people who are strangers to you, about whom you know nothing, and who know nothing about you. Your focus should be on the people who bring you happiness . They should be the center of your life, not random strangers. If you make negativity the center of your life, your life will be negative. Conversely, if you make positivity the center, your life will be positive....

Mother-son love.   I have been chastised by numerous relatives and friends alike for allowing my 7.5-year-old son to sleep beside me. Yet, I deflect their criticism with a gentle smile, for they cannot fathom the waterfall of emotions within me. They fail to grasp that I simply do not care what they think because the truth is far more profound. In the depths of my heart, I feel a mixture of sadness and longing. I fondly recall the days when my little one, at just one year old, would peacefully slumber beside me, clutching my hand with tiny fingers. There were moments when he would awaken during the night, seeking solace and desiring my comforting presence. I can still sense the delicate caress of his hand tracing my face. Those times held immense significance and remain etched in my memory, yet they couldn't endure indefinitely. They gracefully slipped away, akin to a beautiful dance. These memories evoke a deep longing within me as I witness my son growing up and the relentless pa...

There was a girl,  who used to sleep deep, Now, the slightest movement in her room wakes her up. There was a girl, who did not care for her messy room, Now, carefully folds every piece of cloth. There was a girl, who spoke till her heart emptied, Now, focuses more on listening. There was a girl, who used to fill her up with chocolates for every skipped meal, Now, chooses healthy food for every meal. There was a girl,  who did not give a damn to speed limits and speed brakes, Now, drives her car slowly and avoiding any crates carefully. There was a girl, who dreamt randomly without caring to complete them, Now, adds meaning to her ambitions. There was a girl, who lived with on her own terms with no rules, Now, abides by every rule she sets for herself. She was a girl then, Now, she is a mother. She knows her actions have more effect than her words,  She learns to be responsible and mature everyday.

When I got married, many things changed and changed instantaneously. One of them was filling out forms. In India, most of the forms ask for information like: Src:  https://travel.stackexchange.com/questions/37233/why-does-the-visa-for-india-for-ask-for-the-name-of-my-father-husband Before marriage, it was simple! I would write my father's name in Father/Husband name column and be over with it. After marriage, this field of the form became annoying to me. In starting days of marriage, whenever I filled a form, I used to put a slash in between and wrote both names. Almost every form-checker would exasperate and ask me to fill the form again, enraging me. They also advised me to write my husband's name only. I understood that they were doing their job. It irritated me to fill the form with my husband's name only. Both my father and husband's names are important and irreplaceable to me. I still do not understand why I need to leave my father's name behind if I am marrie...

There was a girl whose parents gave her the chance to study and learn. They motivated her to choose her path and weave her dreams. She fueled her dreams with hopes and desires. She dreamt of ambitions, creating value and financial independence. She grew up. She loved her career. Of course, there were ups and downs, disappointments and dissatisfactions. Still, at the end of the day, she knew she could still live up to her dreams if she kept trying. She got married to a charming guy who supported her dreams and career. Eventually, she had kids. She never contemplated how much dedication her children required from her. She always thought of having kids and raising them as a temporary condition rather than a permanent one. She thought she could also sail this boat. Naive she was, she did not know it was easier thought than done.  For time being, she tried to manage everything - home, children, and work. As she still had a place for her dreams in her mind. But slowly, she started to fee...

My son studies in U.K.G./Prep/Senior K.G., whatever name you call it- the class below class I. Sometimes he finds completing his homework repelling and boring. He remarkably portrays his denial of work by writing clumsily and making rebelling sounds. Yesterday was one of such days. Usually, I get frustrated and show my displeasure by taking his notebooks and ask him not to study from now on. He revolts, thus, creating a scene, wasting a lot of time until he again agrees to finish his work of the day. I decided to try a different strategy yesterday. I narrated a fictional story. When I was a teenager, one day during class, our Maths teacher gave us a difficult question for homework. He instructed us not to ask the solution from our respective tuition teachers and not to discuss it with friends. Back in our days, we did not have easy access to google and its resources. We had to consult our books. No one in our class could find the solution to the problem. The next day, when the class be...