Children have this way of simply saying things that make you
laugh and later, think. It’s Sunday morning, my ‘Soon going to be 3’ Year old daughter
was busy playing, rambling out things that I can best describe as random. I was
just sitting there dealing with the fact that it is morning already. Mornings
are tough!
She then paused, looked at me and said “Papa! Sad kyu ho?
Tum Gruffalo(her favourite character) jaisa dikh rahe ho.. Theek Karo!”* I was
taken aback at first then realized she was pointing at my unshaven, salt-peppery
beard and a head of unkempt and mangled hair.
It was as if the child said: “Not happy with something?? Fix
it!”. It then struck me how seemingly simple things can sometimes have such
deep meaning. It is always so easy to keep playing the past in your head,
thinking “what if?” and making alternate personal history in your head based on
what you want to edit in your past. No
matter how alluring world of “What if” seems to be, it is a vicious soul
sucking trap which is like a black hole that gets stronger as you keep adding
more stuff into it.
It made me realize how it is important to shut the magical
portal to the world of “What if” and instead walk into the real world through
the old but rugged gate of “Why not?”. Take action not just ponder. Good things
won’t happen until we make them happen!
A simple line from a child had transformed me from an
unwilling participant of life feeling violated just by sensing daylight to someone who seeks to get something done today.
I got up, got ready and gave huge giggle inducing bear hug
to the little one.
There are things that
we can change and there are things we can't. Let’s at least do something we
can! Let's “Fix it!”
Sometimes it takes a child’s perspective to give you
direction.
*Translates into: "Dad, Why do you look Sad? You look like a Gruffalo! ... Fix it!"
