I heard this Justin Timberlake song a few days back as an old playlist played in Random mode in my car. The title of the song remained with me long after it played. It made a lot of sense and I realized that one notices that even more as one’s life progresses.
Aren’t we sometimes in doubt if what we are doing will serve any useful purpose at all? What is it that keep us doing our best, relentlessly, day after day after day?
Hear it from my horse’s (..err, I mean my colt’s) mouth
Last night, before sleep time, I asked my 5 year old son, Tanav, “Do you love Mom?“
He said, “Yes, of course, I love her a lot!“
I asked, “Why do you love her so much?”
To which he said, “She’s very cute!”
I have this habit of pushing (as some of you may know by now), “Why do you find her so cute?”
Tanav said, “..well, because, she is a sweetheart.” (I sometimes feel that Tanav can now sense my train of follow-up questions and kind of enjoys to drag a tad bit himself.)
“Okay, what is that one quality in her that you like the most?” I jumped to the point.
“Mom is a sweetheart because she does so much and does it all so calmly!”
I was now curious to know what Tanav thought was the No. 1 reason he loved me, assuming he did.
After a pause, I asked, “Tanav, Do you love me?”
“..more than anything else in this world!“, Tanav replied.
“..so, far so good“, I thought.
“Okay, and what is that one thing that makes you love me so much?“, I asked.
“I love Papa because he teaches me so many things!” He said.
That one line touched my heart. Kids always speak the truth. Okay, not always, but you know when they lie, and thankfully they don’t learn the art of deceiving until they become adults.
All of a sudden, all that #$@! makes sense
I smiled. That one line… and everything that I had ever done ever since I was blessed with children made so much more sense.
I have intentionally always walked the extra few yards in making efforts to make learning fun and interesting for all children I know. I am not calling it a mile because that would be an exaggeration. Most parents do that. Moreover, I learn and find it so much fun myself!
The electronic game version of 20 Questions which I bought from Amazon US once again felt worth it. Paid 10$ for shipping over a 15$ game.
Interactive World Map recommended by a friend in Australia (Shef), purchased by another friend in US (Jassi) and sent to me through another colleague’s wife (Subodh’s). Thank you guys! Although Tanav hasn’t really got the hang of it yet but I’m sure that’ll happen soon. (The wait sometimes is worth it too!)
You baby can read CD series, which I purchased when I was in Hawaii for work. I paid about $125 but the shipping didn’t happen until after I had left for India. I arranged to have it shipped from my Hotel to my cousin (Sur) in Kentucky. She, in turn, got it shipped to me. All that effort and time, once again, felt worth it!
I have spent a lot of time, money and effort in finding out the best books, movies, games, programs, podcasts et al. Anything which I think could help develop that curiosity of learning in my kids.
I am pretty sure all parents do that. However, sometimes we aren’t sure if all that would help or not. We feel discouraged and demotivated.
Everything happens for a reason but we only realize that as we progress on the life’s timeline. The dots can only be connected backwards as Steve Jobs once said.
You can’t connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. Because believing that will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leads you off the well worn path.
Keep Walking…
Keep doing what you do. Have faith. Even if you feel discouraged sometimes. Do it with your heart’s commitment. It will always bear fruit. If not now, then later. But it will!
I hope you like this post. If you do, then go back and ask your kid, Why does he or she love you so much?
I am sure their answer will bring you a smile. All that you have been doing all these years will suddenly make even more sense.
Just like it did for my wife and I last night.
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