I write naturally because I think naturally. But I am not a great writer because I am not a great thinker. And again, I write occasionally not because I think occasionally but because I am a mother.
In my teenaged daughter's eyes I am a supermom. In my adolescent son's eyes , ''East or West , my momma is the best". They are over- zealous with their plain, simple mother . All I can say about myself is that these kids of mine are what I live for . Doing that extra bit to see their brilliant million-watt smile is far fulfilling and rewarding than being gifted a million- dollar diamond .
It's a different matter though that no one gifts me a diamond !
Mothering children has its own pleasures...... and ...er...displeasures. Yesterday I sat with my eight- year old son with his school-work . Since a long time he had'nt got a 'star' remark in his school copies. I was sort of sulking and chiding him for his lack of aptitude in studies. Then he drew my notice to the language homework that was due. Wasting no further time I opened the page where he was given a set of sentences to mark the tenses.
1. I am playing with a ball.
2. Mona on the stage.
3. Father bought a new car.
4. I will never disobey .
5. My mother is a beautiful woman.
He responded to all the first three sentences correctly, answering "present tense " for the first two , and "past tense" for the third one. So far so good . By now much of my tension had diffused. With some rejuvenated spirit I proceeded with the last two sentences. But Fates, and Frolic seemed too limited in my fortune, for , when I asked him to say the tenses of the fourth and the fifth statement , he answered that they both were "past tense". Exasperated yet as calm as one can be, I asked him why he said so.
He replied more calmly. There was a genuine nonchalance in his voice, "No one obeys now a days. Didi did so in the past. I too obeyed in the past, did'nt I ? And in the fifth sentence...."
I cut him short. Too my abashment I understood his implications !
He was judging the tenses not by the grammatical rules but by their face value !
Needless to say, my next assignment was to clarify the haze from his mind.
[Although the fifth sentence continued to haunt my mind ! ]
But at 9 o'clock that very night as I was packing his bag , I suddenly noticed the last page of his English copy. He had made a small sketch of me there. The vermilion, the tiny bindi and even the miniscule mole on the right cheek were in place.
Below were written his favourite words, . "East or West, Momma is the best".
2 comments:
Congrats,
you have potrayed one of any mother's daily experiences in sweet, gilded,and nicely selected phrases- esp- i write occasionally but because i'm a mother; brilliant million watt smile. The fact that your child feels the same love for you even being at receiving end of a heavy chiding,at the end of the day makes the day seem satisfying and complete. Mothers have such a gigantuan responsibility in their lives,that it exhausts her from time to time,but events that are associated with small joys, a few snatched laughs and giggles, a few rejuvinating hugs, a handfull of moist and soft kisses, and a big bear hug for preparing delicious tiffin even at the early hours of the day, bring smile to our lips whenever we are in a pensieve mood.
Well,q queen you struck gold again,........no wait..... this time diamond!
I dont know what to say,but you've heralded a new surge of a variety of emotions within me with your writing. Thank you for sharing such a warm experience in your life,it was worth more than just one read!
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