Dear God - A praying contest!

 Dear Piya,

Today is March 31, 2022.

That means tomorrow will be Papa's birthday.

And that is what has brought much mirth in our lives, today.

Yes, that his birthday is on April 1 is funny for a silly reason, but this letter to you is about what conversed on the dinner table today.

"Do you not want to cut a cake tomorrow, Amit?" I asked Papa at dinner.

"Nope." He replied.

Your eyes went from me to him, and then back to me, and and then back to him.

After that, you said, "But it's your birthday, Papa!"

Amit looked at you with some surprise in his eyes and asked, "Yes, so what baccha?"

"So you need to cut the cake! It's not Mumma's birthday or my birthday. So YOU have to cut the cake." You elaborated.

While Amit and I exchanged looks of wonder, he managed to say, "Yes, I know that it's my birthday...but I don't like cutting a cake. How about you cut on my behalf?"

"But it's not my birthday, it's YOURS!" You insisted.

While I managed to supress a laugh, he said something weird.

"Okay...how about we make it your birthday tomorrow?"

"No!" You were quick to revert.

And then began the dramatic praying contest.

Amit folded his hands in prayer, looked up towards the ceiling, and said, "Dear God, please make it Piya's birthday tomorrow!"

You found this as a bizzare turn of conversation, and rightly asked him, much to his surprise, "Do you want me to grow up fast, Papa?"

He laughed aloud, before he could manage to reply with, "Sure, that would be nice wouldn't it?"

"No! I will be 5 then and all my friends wi remain 4, so I will be left with no friends in my class!"

"You will make new friends na?" He continued his silliness with.

"No, Papa!" You retorted before folding your own hands and repeating his prayer-style with, "Dear God, please don't accept Papa's request! I don't want my birthday to be tomorrow."

"Dear God, please make Piya's birthday happen tomorrow. She has been a good girl so bless her with a birthday sharing with Papa."

"Dear God, do not listen to Papa..."

"Dear God, I will do anything if you make her birthday happen tomorrow. Don't listen to Piya...look at her feet...they are black with paint..."

"Dear God, Papa hasn't even changed his clothes after coming from office! Don't listen to him."

I pointed out that you both were bordering on demeaning each other, so your prayers changed for good. But the prayers remained weird & hilarious for quote some time.

You may be wondering how it ended.

Well, this is how.

You climbed on his shoulders and started pulling his hair to make him stop his ridiculous prayers 🤣

I wish I had a video capturing all of what happened, for this letter may not cover even a tenth of what idiocy kept flowing through the dinner table tonight!

Your expresions, your cheeky replies, your persistence and your father's childishness are a sight at times, I tell you!

 Anyway, here is my take on the whole thing - No, darling, we don't want you to grow up too fast. If you were to, then we would dearly miss these events that make for find memories for a lifetime, won't we?

Stay the wondrous child you are for as long as your heart desires ❤️

Love,

Maa

Hold my hand, no more, darling.

Dear Piya,

I hear stories of empty nesters.

These are parents whose kids have grown up and flown out of their best, this leaving it empty for these parents now.

Often, I have wondered how these parents cope with the void that their kids leave behind.

While I have always favoured an indpendent 'you', the very thought of having to live in a house where you have grown up is a little heart-breaking, to say the least!

And to think of it, you are not even 5, yet :)

So, what is it that makes the gut squirm in pain at the thought of distancing physically from you?

I got of glimpse of this, just today...

We are away in a vacation with some friends.

You are enjoying yourself with a dip in the pool, a castle-buildup by the beach sand and even with a little carefree roaming here & there.

Amidst all this, we are trying to have a little joy of our own by being chatty & relaxed with our gang of accompanying friends.

So when we were sitting in the garden of our beautiful resort today, enjoying the evening snack cum chatter, you found yourself oddly drawn to our room (a 5-min-walk-away cottage).

You came up to me & asked to go there.

I was not feeling quite up to it, as I had walked up & down the resort a few times since morning.

You said you wanted to pee. So you had to go, without a doubt.

My face showed clear hesitation.

Judging it correctly, you said "I can go on my own, Mumma".

My eyes widened with a mix of doubt & surprise.

"I know the way. Besides, Papa is back at the room, so he will open the door for me."

I thought over this for a little while - 5 seconds to be precise, as you were holding your pee-pee area with intent.

I called up your Papa and shared that you are coming to the cottage. I asked him to give me a call back the second you reached.

As I saw you peace away towards the room, I couldn't help but look at your hands, dancing around your waist freely, as you ran.

And just as I saw that, I felt the emptiness of your hands hold around mine. You have held my hand on your way to places for son long that my palms felt vacant now.

Maybe that's what an empty nest feels like, when multiplied by a factor of 1000.

Your independence, that I so desire & encourage, is going to come with many such small heartbreaks.

I can only hope that I am happier for the path you will walk upon confidently rather than sad for the footprints left behind in my heart.

Thankfully, my heartache got replaced by a streak of anger, as later that evening, I realised you weren't around only to find you back at the room, all by yourself again!

Can't wait to grow up & be all by yourself, eh, kiddo?!

Patience, child, patience.

Love,

Maa.