Introspective, insightful, uplifting, unassuming and unintentionally philosophical….never imagined such big attributes could in reality describe the spirit of children! They are all this and beyond. They are a mirror to all that we were, and stopped being after priorities hit and education conditioned us! How rich life would be, if we retained some qualities we gave up as we grew.

How many adults have asked you a question that brought out the philosophical side of you? Or pointed out that routine need not be religion? Or made you realize that you, in fact, are not as smart as you think??

Kids do all of that. It’s what they were born to do. And just when you begin to think you are dealing with someone way too mature for their age, you glance away and take a look back, to find a pair of twinkling eyes, arms stretched out to be taken into embrace, and you think, God, thank you for these little wonders who simply love and want to be loved in return!

I’ve always wondered, what it is about kids, that’s so irresistible? I think it’s how they trust you. How they hold your hand, in full faith. They carry no baggage, they love unconditionally (but will not refuse bribe!). They walk in smiling and want to be lifted in your arms and suddenly as you pick them up, you feel light!

The philosophical side can be very heavy indeed! Have no siblings, but heard plenty stories from my mom on things I said / asked that establishes I was at my mature best when I was five!

Me: “Granny, why are you partial to boys?”
Her: “Because they take care of parents when they are old”
Me: “But when I grow up, I will take care of my parents”
Her: “No. You will be married off. There is a saying that goes; When a man goes, he brings back silk. When a woman goes, she brings back a baby”
Me (after pondering awhile): “But the silk will tear, and the baby will remain always. So isn’t that better?”
Her (to my mom): “You must teach your daughter manners”
Mom (to herself): I must tell her of this dialogue when she grows up!

I had thrown a stone at a 12 yr old boy, coz he threw a stone at a puppy. His mom paid a visit to complain and my mom called me for an explanation to my behaviour. I narrated the incident for benefit of both parents. Then I said to his mom, “My mom will punish me. But aunty, just because the puppy’s mom will not come to complain, you will not punish him?”

After a genuis peak at five, I grew up. Am still cute tho. And vain

This post is a tribute to a bunch of kids who are cuter than I thought possible! You may have read about them. But I simply had to make their pearls of wisdom laced with innocence a part of my blog here. So here are few extracts, my favs, from their tales! And a few crochet dedications

Peanut – Solilo’s loving princess

Peanut planted sunflower seeds, poured water and checked it daily without fail. Then one day I found her singing to the plant,

Flower flower flower
Please grow grow
Flower flower flower
Please grow grow
Grow big more more more

Me: Why are you singing to the plants?

Peanut: Mamma! if plants are happy they will flower fast.

Me: Who told you that?

Peanut: I know

For Peanut - The Oreo Cookie Fan

 

M – IHM’s 8 yr old niece I could hug for days on end

Niece 8, asking, ‘You never, ever get angry with your kids?’

IHM: “err umm I don’t like to, but sometimes I do… err umm…”

Accusing, stern eyes, “What can make you angry with them?

IHM: Err… (really lost) … err sometimes they get late for school, if I don’t pretend to be angry they’ll miss their bus, then we have to drop them…and then on top of that she says, I should let her drive!”

“Maybe it’s a trick so that you let her drive! You should let her drive.”

IHM: “But she needs a license M!”

Serious, considering eyes: But what’s there to be angry in this? You can explain this nicely also?

IHM: I should you know, normally I do… only rarely sometimes if I am angry, or tired …

Serious, grandmotherly eyes:You should sleep in time.

 

For M - To match her pink barbie bag of travelling time passes

 

Hriday – Hitchy’s very own Calvin!

Son : Adha, What do you call a Hyena in gujarati ?
Me : Zarakh.
Son : Hindi ?
Me : Lakkadbagga.
Son : Kutchi ?
Me : Hriday, I don’t know. ( sometimes he takes, I don’t know as an answer )
Son : Adha what do we call a platypus in gujarati ?
Me : Platypus only, its not an animal found in Gujarat so it doesn’t have a gujarati name.
Son : Don’t just say anything, you don’t know anything.
Son : Adha, what do you call a Dinosaur in Gujarati ?
Me : Hriday, lets stop this, we will sing poems.

Geeee, my life is in an intelligence crisis. Dinosaur in Hindi anyone ?? Platypus in hindi anyone ?? There are more… Walrus, Dugong, Hedgehog …

For Hriday - The Dinosaur-loving Cutiepie

 

Poohi – Smitha’s Dancing Queen!

Dancing Queen, yes, that’s my little girl’s favourite song at the moment. From the last few weeks she has been hooked on to ABBA!

Well, who’s going to believe me when I say that my daughter had no ears for anything except her nursery rhymes, now goes around singing, ‘You can dance, you can jive…’

Today, she sang Dancing Queen at the supermarket shopping – very loudly! I got a lot of looks from a lot of people.

For Poohi - Dancing Queen Forever!

 

I love all these kids….and all the lil ones who are soon gonna get to talking, will have their parents saying, in Smitha’s words “wish they came with a mute button!” Abha, Monika, are they getting there??!