Dear Piya,
Before you say anything, let me tell you this - I plead guilty.
I haven’t written to you in a long time, darling, and for that I plead guilty.
If this comes as any consolation then do know that the no. my letters have only been inversely proportional to the growth in our conversation beyond written words.
Having said that, I still wish I had written more :)
But I have something far more important than that to address today.
You turned three years old, love.
One.
Two.
THREE!
You will certainly feel like I keep making a big deal out of the days, weeks, months and years going by, to the extent of making you lose enthusiasm on the same, but wait, darling, wait!
Firstly, the days going by will always etch a special memory in my heart with something I got to live with you yet again, and how this time will never come back. You can pin this to my penchant for sweet, old, nostalgia, my love, if you will.
But there is another reason behind why your third birthday is making me reflect deeply, yet again.
It is the year of 2020, Piya.
And I just experienced a slight shiver run through my skin as I wrote this.
This year has been anything but kind to human beings.
From where you are sitting, reading this letter, the future that is - this year would have served as the subject for many a case study.
And the most explored topic would certainly have been this - Covid19, Corona Virus.
I am experiencing this right now -
The unimaginable has happened.
The world has come to a standstill, dear.
This virus has made the very bones of human beings hesitate to move an inch outside their homes.
And while today marks over 43 days of us having stayed indoors, there was uninhibited laughter in the house today, all thanks to you.
As scared as we were because of the ongoing strain around spread of this disease, we celebrated the day the way you deserved a birthday.
From cake, to decoration, to gifts, to celebration - we did it all.
Selfishly so - because the laughter on your face makes us forget our woes, and believe in life being a wonderful present.
While there were many highlights of the day, from you splashing water in the outdoor jacuzzi tub (yes, we are blessed to have one) to you helping me with your own birthday’s balloon decor to you dancing around in your birthday dress, one particular event has made itself my ‘highlight of the day’.
We presented you with a life-size pretend play set of a kitchen, love.
Now, I do not favour women opting to do kitchen related work just because they are women. I am sure your father will have an especially sour tone while sharing this with you as my ‘overdose of feminism’, too.
But I have observed you in and around the kitchen, more so of late, sweetheart.
I don’t know if it’s your age that makes you seek this or it’s your nature to want to participate, but you simply want to have a role in what’s happening around you.
With me, these days, that revolves around household chores, and then again with me as well as with your father it also has a little something to do with your want of clicking on the laptop under the pretext of ‘I am working, alright?!”
I am going on a foot here and trusting that you picked this fantastic line (alongwith the attitude with which you say it aloud) from your father.
I am rather poised to...ahem...anyway...
So, when it came to picking out a fight for you, it was a choice between a laptop (replica, of course) or a pretend play set for some house related chore.
Now a laptop seemed like something that would make you repeat some actions in a parrot-like fashion.
So - the kitchen set is what we got you (I managed to arrange this from a friend of mine, just yesterday, because we have a lockdown going on).
Our usual morning routine is more or less structured around me having to pester you to either keep yourself engaged in your meals of some activity or request you repeatedly to not pester me to begin with.
It would be safe to say that I saw less of you today than I have all through this lockdown phase, and perhaps even before that!
You LOVED the kitchen set!
You forgot your meals.
You forgot your sleep.
You forgot everything else!
You were engrossed in playing with the dishes, the knobs, the food, the utensils - all of it, basically!
I don’t know what to say, baby.
I am priding myself upon having gifted you something you took an immediate liking to, surely.
But more than that, I am proud of you.
You clearly showcase skills of practising independence with flair, if given complete freedom to operate at will.
With me, you are always being told how to handle your spoon, how to be careful with your plate, how not to drop the glass etc.
With your set, you were in charge.
I am not going to go into any premature insights as to declaring how you have a future in the culinary field - I think such presumptions are as naive as naïveté gets.
But I certainly see you learning from what you see around.
And with you depicting someone fine kitchen-art today, I would like to believe that I (as well as your elders) showcase some good skills for you to look up to too.
And now, to the best part of my day - you did not sleep all afternoon, much thanks to your new found love in the form of your kitchen set.
But that meant that night-night was to come sooner than usual.
It came better than usual too.
You fell sleep in my arms, on my shoulder.
I couldn’t make myself put you to bed for sometime.
After all, I was wondering how few a years I have left with you sleeping in my arms, after all...
And that’s how I experienced futuristic nostalgia in the present!
I love you darling.
And I have no doubt in this - you are a blessing in every form.
Happy birthday, my love.
Sleep well and dream big.
And hug me more often, for as long as you grow.
Love,
Maa.
Before you say anything, let me tell you this - I plead guilty.
I haven’t written to you in a long time, darling, and for that I plead guilty.
If this comes as any consolation then do know that the no. my letters have only been inversely proportional to the growth in our conversation beyond written words.
Having said that, I still wish I had written more :)
But I have something far more important than that to address today.
You turned three years old, love.
One.
Two.
THREE!
You will certainly feel like I keep making a big deal out of the days, weeks, months and years going by, to the extent of making you lose enthusiasm on the same, but wait, darling, wait!
Firstly, the days going by will always etch a special memory in my heart with something I got to live with you yet again, and how this time will never come back. You can pin this to my penchant for sweet, old, nostalgia, my love, if you will.
But there is another reason behind why your third birthday is making me reflect deeply, yet again.
It is the year of 2020, Piya.
And I just experienced a slight shiver run through my skin as I wrote this.
This year has been anything but kind to human beings.
From where you are sitting, reading this letter, the future that is - this year would have served as the subject for many a case study.
And the most explored topic would certainly have been this - Covid19, Corona Virus.
I am experiencing this right now -
The unimaginable has happened.
The world has come to a standstill, dear.
This virus has made the very bones of human beings hesitate to move an inch outside their homes.
And while today marks over 43 days of us having stayed indoors, there was uninhibited laughter in the house today, all thanks to you.
As scared as we were because of the ongoing strain around spread of this disease, we celebrated the day the way you deserved a birthday.
From cake, to decoration, to gifts, to celebration - we did it all.
Selfishly so - because the laughter on your face makes us forget our woes, and believe in life being a wonderful present.
While there were many highlights of the day, from you splashing water in the outdoor jacuzzi tub (yes, we are blessed to have one) to you helping me with your own birthday’s balloon decor to you dancing around in your birthday dress, one particular event has made itself my ‘highlight of the day’.
We presented you with a life-size pretend play set of a kitchen, love.
Now, I do not favour women opting to do kitchen related work just because they are women. I am sure your father will have an especially sour tone while sharing this with you as my ‘overdose of feminism’, too.
But I have observed you in and around the kitchen, more so of late, sweetheart.
I don’t know if it’s your age that makes you seek this or it’s your nature to want to participate, but you simply want to have a role in what’s happening around you.
With me, these days, that revolves around household chores, and then again with me as well as with your father it also has a little something to do with your want of clicking on the laptop under the pretext of ‘I am working, alright?!”
I am going on a foot here and trusting that you picked this fantastic line (alongwith the attitude with which you say it aloud) from your father.
I am rather poised to...ahem...anyway...
So, when it came to picking out a fight for you, it was a choice between a laptop (replica, of course) or a pretend play set for some house related chore.
Now a laptop seemed like something that would make you repeat some actions in a parrot-like fashion.
So - the kitchen set is what we got you (I managed to arrange this from a friend of mine, just yesterday, because we have a lockdown going on).
Our usual morning routine is more or less structured around me having to pester you to either keep yourself engaged in your meals of some activity or request you repeatedly to not pester me to begin with.
It would be safe to say that I saw less of you today than I have all through this lockdown phase, and perhaps even before that!
You LOVED the kitchen set!
You forgot your meals.
You forgot your sleep.
You forgot everything else!
You were engrossed in playing with the dishes, the knobs, the food, the utensils - all of it, basically!
I don’t know what to say, baby.
I am priding myself upon having gifted you something you took an immediate liking to, surely.
But more than that, I am proud of you.
You clearly showcase skills of practising independence with flair, if given complete freedom to operate at will.
With me, you are always being told how to handle your spoon, how to be careful with your plate, how not to drop the glass etc.
With your set, you were in charge.
I am not going to go into any premature insights as to declaring how you have a future in the culinary field - I think such presumptions are as naive as naïveté gets.
But I certainly see you learning from what you see around.
And with you depicting someone fine kitchen-art today, I would like to believe that I (as well as your elders) showcase some good skills for you to look up to too.
And now, to the best part of my day - you did not sleep all afternoon, much thanks to your new found love in the form of your kitchen set.
But that meant that night-night was to come sooner than usual.
It came better than usual too.
You fell sleep in my arms, on my shoulder.
I couldn’t make myself put you to bed for sometime.
After all, I was wondering how few a years I have left with you sleeping in my arms, after all...
And that’s how I experienced futuristic nostalgia in the present!
I love you darling.
And I have no doubt in this - you are a blessing in every form.
Happy birthday, my love.
Sleep well and dream big.
And hug me more often, for as long as you grow.
Love,
Maa.
No comments:
Post a Comment