Amen....

एक ख्वाब देखा है तुम्हारे लिए

बड़ा नहीं लेकिन महत्वपूर्ण है। 

भरा है यह सपना आँखों में -

निश्चलता हो तुम्हारी आँखों में,

सरलता हो तुम्हारे हृदय में,

सादगी हो तुम्हरी सोच में। 

जरूरी नहीं सागर की तरह वेग हो

मगर हो उसकी गहराई,

जरूरी नहीं हो तुम में संगीत का शोर

मगर हो उसका मंत्रमुग्ध कर देने वाला सुर,

जरूरी नहीं आज का बिंदासपन हो तुम में

मगर जरूर हो आज का विश्वास, आज का हौसला। 

बाहरी चमक दमक से परे,

मन की चांदनी से सजा

हो तुम्हारा जीवन.

व्यक्तित्व में हो तुम्हारे बहुत सादगी

और मन में हो तुम्हारे, बहुत आदर। 

बहुत आगे जाओ,पढ़ो लिखो

कलाकार बनो

और लिखो अपने जीवन का गान स्वयं। 

Lots of love, mamma.

(अपनी प्यारी बिटिया के लिए लिखी एक कविता, मन के ख़्वाबों से सराबोर)

Image: From the personal file. 

Day 75: A colorful world

Its a colorful word

simple yet so charming

the world of kids

mundane to us but treasure to the little ones.

My heart gallops when 

my baby plays with water in little glasses

in her baby kitchen set.

My heart draws images of happiness when

my baby plays with crayons

and scribbles something she calls flowers.

My heart sticks to joys unbound when

my baby plays with stickers

and she is so possessive about them.

Toys, stickers, candies

choclates, water tub, bath ducks,

cartoons, books

all these are your world baby,

I am so mesmerized to see you

content with a world of your own...

such a colorful & happy world....

Day 74: एक ख्वाब

I happened to read about Sachin Tendulkar's family today and reached to this video :
http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=oewFErGwETs&feature=related

I found his girl, Sara so innocent. I thought the media is trying to make her a star by asking her plans and their regular stiupid questions but they failed to realize they are talking to a 12 year old girl (though she is Sachin's daughter). She was such in a fix that she kept repeating what she should answer to the reporters. I was amazed to see her beauty-both internal as well as external. I also saw pictures of Sachin's wife and found her beautiful-both inwards and outwards. I think Sara inherited her beauty from her mother. And it is now that I dreamt something for my daughter. My dream for my kiddie is summarised in one word- Grace.

I also realize everyday that she will be what her parents will make her. It is very true because a child's first school is his home and his parents are his first teachers. We have big responsibility towards her. If I want her to be graceful, don't I have to imbibe this in me? I wish her lots of happiness and success in her life, and above all, I wish that she may have grace in her being, in her every role in each of her life's phase. A poem penned only for her.

Amen....

एक ख्वाब देखा है तुम्हारे लिए
बड़ा नहीं लेकिन महतव्पूर्ण है.

भरा है यह सपना आँखों मै-
निश्चलता हो तुम्हारी आँखों मे,
सरलता हो तुम्हारे हृदय मे,
सादगी हो तुम्हरी सोच मे.

जरूरी नहीं सागर की तरह वेग हो
मगर हो उसकी गहराई,
जरूरी नहीं हो तुममे संगीत का शोर
मगर हो उसका मंत्रमुग्ध कर देने वाला सुर,
जरूरी नहीं आज*का बिंदासपन हो तुममे
मगर जरूर हो आज का विश्वास, आज का हौसला,

बाहरी चमक दमक से परे,
मन की चांदनी से सजा
हो तुम्हारा जीवन.
व्यक्तिव्य मे हो तुम्हारे बहुत सादगी

और मन मे हो तुम्हारे बहुत आदर.

बहुत आगे जाओ, पढो लिखो
कलाकार बनो
और लिखो अपने जीवन का गान स्वयं.

Lots of love, mamma.

Day 13: Being a parent!

Babies are so much bliss and this can not be felt just by reading these feelings. They are known and understood only after having them. Many a times I feel I am blessed by having Avni. She is such a beautiful child, much more beautiful by heart. She is adorable! Well, to every parent, their child is the centre of universe for them.

Parenting is the toughest of all the tasks I have ever had and the most 'responsible' responsibility for me. There are no short cuts or tricks to raise a kid. All that is required is summed up in one word: 'discipline'. In one of my earlier posts, I have talked about the essesence of discipline in one's life. I have realized that it's impact becomes much more magnified with a baby to take care of. It all flows down to them. The way we talk, we behave, we conduct ourselves, we dress up etc. all casts a big influence on our kids. Our values and our thoughts shape so much of their initial years, one can not imagine.All parenting experts and guides emphasize the importance of structure or routine. This helps the babies to know in advance what is coming and accordingly their bodies get rest and excitement, thereby channelizing their energies in the right direction. To be honest, now after 2 years we have been able to set a routine, rather a consistent one. It needed us to be structured and disciplined. Tough task it was and it is!!!

Toddlers yet need much more energy channelization as they are at a stage where their mind is full of questions and they want to experience so many things. My angel is now trying every word that we speak and we are amazed how many she can store in her little head :-). It is at this stage so important for us to channelize her leaning in the right direction. We read to her some or the other book everyday from quite some time now and we can see she has developed this liking for book reading. It makes me so happy to see her keeping her book on the lap and busy reading it.

It is so much heartening and joyous to see kids grow. It makes you do your best for them. You never want to compromise. I everyday live by these words by C. Everest koop-"Life affords no greater responsibility, no greater privilege, than the raising of the next generation".

While trying to do my best as a mother, I also realize and better understand my parents and what they have gone through while raising me. I remember and wish I could turn back the times when I have not asked persistently for something(without which I could also have done) and had their money spent on it...Oh! I wish so much to take this back. I remember how we used to celebrate festivals together, buying rangoli colors and new dresses for Diwali, or buying colors for holi and masks & colorful feather caps for Dusshera.....they have done so much at every occasion to make life so happy and enjoyable. I wish I would also do the same for my daughter and be a good parent just like my own parents. I wish I can work harder to bring fun, love and at the same time discipline in our lives so that my daughter never has these things in any less.

The art of raising a child

Recently I have been realizing that raising a child is an 'art'. I hope I am able to get my thoughts organized in this blog because there is so much to write (and simultaneously understand and think). This post has all that I am feeling nowadays. It is what I have been listening from various sources, it is what I have been reading, it is what I am thinking about and trying to figure out.

Birth of a child brings so much happiness, and more than that it bring responsibility. But initially, happiness owerpowers the responsibility factor. It is gradually realized that the baby is not a toy/or only a source of joy, you as parents are so much the determining force and factor in its life that you are 'RESPONSIBLE'. This does not mean that you become responsible. Atleast to me the meaning of real responsiblity is sinking in now, now my baby, my angel is one and I am constantly, each day realizing that yes, I am supposed to bring discipline in myself, in my life so that I become responsible and competent enough to make my child an amazing human being and a successful, happy person.

Sometimes I wonder that there is a very fine line between discipline and loving your baby. Most of the first-time parents love their child so much that they tend to overlook the discipline factor. No doubt, the child needs lots and lots of love and warmth. But the discipline should always be present. It does not mean enforcing it through scoldings or even beating your baby, it can come through just one look and the baby should know 'NO'.

* I will keep writing to this post as I have to organize my thoughts and everyday is a new experience, hence can not really finish this one.