Dear Piya,
What is important in life?
You will get different answers from people to this question.
Good food, ample wealth, name, fame, power, travel - the options are plentiful.
If I were to ask a small child, she would probably say that play is very important to her.
To a pubescent child, going out with friends (or having no homework) would score as very important.
And to most adults who have gone beyond these tangibles in life, the most important aspect of living would be ‘sleep’.
Yes.
Sleep is the most important factor of a good life.
And the gesture of gifting somebody the luxury of sleep - that is divine!
While I learnt of this wonderful truth some years into my marriage (life was blissfully carefree prior to that), I claimed membership to this elite school of thinking, which believe me that ‘Sleep is the seance of life’, ever since you were born.
I have no idea, though, as to how to make a wailing baby understand why her mother needs a gift of good sleep from her.
You may be two years old, but you still qualify as a baby.
You have no worries about getting up early to catch the worm. You just want to enjoy playing and frolicking around till as long as possible through the night.
In fact, I jokingly say this to many - if I don’t pull you into bed, you could do a vigil every night!
But, as is the case quite often with us, I underestimated your deep understanding of this subject.
So, while taking a good snooze is essential for a mother to endure the next day, you made me realise that one element that supersedes this - The benefit of a sleeping child after the mother has woken up!
Oh, yes!
The liberty to wake up, stretch a little without turning around in horror of having woken up your child by doing so, sit on the pot in peace with no knocks on the bathroom’s door to make you get out in the middle of your session, the ultimate luxury of starting a shower & finishing the process of washing your hair in one go - my, oh, my!
These are precious beyond sleep.
So yesterday, when I got out of bed, rather slithered out, my foot stepped on to the ground with a tad bit more force than usual.
This was enough to reach your supersonic hearing capacity, even in deep sleep.
You moved a little, while still asleep, and prayers started whispering out of my lips.
Much to my agony, you opened your eyes.
You saw your mother standing in front of our bed, with her hands folded in a plea.
You blinked twice, as I prepared for a tear down my cheek.
But then you shook your head and went back to sleep.
I froze in that moment.
I did not know how to react.
Having you ruin my morning routine by waking up exactly when I am in the bathroom - that I am used to.
Having you give me the breathing space of finishing my morning routine, by going back to sleep - this was absolutely new!
I wanted to dance in joy, but I couldn’t risk you waking up yet again, lest you decide not to repeat the last act of mercy.
So I did a little ‘hurray’ in my mind and tiptoed into the bathroom.
‘My baby is gaining such maturity at such a young age...Awww.’ I couldn’t stop smiling to myself.
And then, after freshening up, just as I was washing my face, I heard the familiar cry of ‘Mommee’.
‘Aha...so much for maturity, baby!’
And I came out to welcome your day with a hug.
But I won’t steal your credit altogether.
You did something amazing; even if it was for just a few minutes, it does count.
Just try stretching it by a minute more every week, from now, will you please?
Love,
Maa.
What is important in life?
You will get different answers from people to this question.
Good food, ample wealth, name, fame, power, travel - the options are plentiful.
If I were to ask a small child, she would probably say that play is very important to her.
To a pubescent child, going out with friends (or having no homework) would score as very important.
And to most adults who have gone beyond these tangibles in life, the most important aspect of living would be ‘sleep’.
Yes.
Sleep is the most important factor of a good life.
And the gesture of gifting somebody the luxury of sleep - that is divine!
While I learnt of this wonderful truth some years into my marriage (life was blissfully carefree prior to that), I claimed membership to this elite school of thinking, which believe me that ‘Sleep is the seance of life’, ever since you were born.
I have no idea, though, as to how to make a wailing baby understand why her mother needs a gift of good sleep from her.
You may be two years old, but you still qualify as a baby.
You have no worries about getting up early to catch the worm. You just want to enjoy playing and frolicking around till as long as possible through the night.
In fact, I jokingly say this to many - if I don’t pull you into bed, you could do a vigil every night!
But, as is the case quite often with us, I underestimated your deep understanding of this subject.
So, while taking a good snooze is essential for a mother to endure the next day, you made me realise that one element that supersedes this - The benefit of a sleeping child after the mother has woken up!
Oh, yes!
The liberty to wake up, stretch a little without turning around in horror of having woken up your child by doing so, sit on the pot in peace with no knocks on the bathroom’s door to make you get out in the middle of your session, the ultimate luxury of starting a shower & finishing the process of washing your hair in one go - my, oh, my!
These are precious beyond sleep.
So yesterday, when I got out of bed, rather slithered out, my foot stepped on to the ground with a tad bit more force than usual.
This was enough to reach your supersonic hearing capacity, even in deep sleep.
You moved a little, while still asleep, and prayers started whispering out of my lips.
Much to my agony, you opened your eyes.
You saw your mother standing in front of our bed, with her hands folded in a plea.
You blinked twice, as I prepared for a tear down my cheek.
But then you shook your head and went back to sleep.
I froze in that moment.
I did not know how to react.
Having you ruin my morning routine by waking up exactly when I am in the bathroom - that I am used to.
Having you give me the breathing space of finishing my morning routine, by going back to sleep - this was absolutely new!
I wanted to dance in joy, but I couldn’t risk you waking up yet again, lest you decide not to repeat the last act of mercy.
So I did a little ‘hurray’ in my mind and tiptoed into the bathroom.
‘My baby is gaining such maturity at such a young age...Awww.’ I couldn’t stop smiling to myself.
And then, after freshening up, just as I was washing my face, I heard the familiar cry of ‘Mommee’.
‘Aha...so much for maturity, baby!’
And I came out to welcome your day with a hug.
But I won’t steal your credit altogether.
You did something amazing; even if it was for just a few minutes, it does count.
Just try stretching it by a minute more every week, from now, will you please?
Love,
Maa.
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