When I look back at the day Pihu was
born, I can only remember the element of surprise at her arrival before time. She
took us by storm and made a dramatic entry, one we had planned but were not exactly prepared for. Since then until now, she has only managed to pile on the
surprises. From holding a banter at 1.5 years of age in her mumbo-jumbo baby
tongue, to grooving like a self-styled diva at her favourite dance numbers at
3. It is beautiful how a most regular conversation with her already appears so
mature and thought-provoking. When people talk about enjoying parenthood, I
guess this is what they really talk about- the journey from a pint-sized milk
guzzler to a prim and proper five-year-old who wants to be elegant and at the
same time, be super-active, how fascinating it has been! Makes you almost overlook
the cumbersome responsibilities that come with being a mother to a
pre-schooler. How to keep a pro-active kid engaged, how to tell her she’s too
talkative and you have to get back to work, how to feed her healthy meals
without a fuss, how to restrict her screen-time, how to get her dressed in a
jiffy knowing the more time she takes finding what she wants to wear means less
time for your bath…these are the daily struggles we all have to come to terms
with and then some more.
Pihu recently made the transition from
India to Australia with us. Everyone back in India wonders how she coped with
it but to be honest, she has hardly been a concern in that sense. It has almost
seemed like she was waiting for this and here is where she belongs. She has
never missed her home, our relations or her own small bunch of friends and trusted
teachers back in India, ever since moving here. Like recently she asked me, “Mamma,
do you think my friends in India miss me?” I replied, “Of course they do, love.
Do you?” To which she paused for a moment and responded, “Well, sometimes.” And
that was it. Is it that her wonder at all things Australian has taken over her
memories of 4 years? People even wonder at the Aussie accent that has crept in
to her English these days but I feel that’s her natural way of adapting to her
circumstances and immediate school environment.
The fact that at 5, she is amazingly
independent and balanced is indeed a relief. It gives me the confidence of
venturing out for work knowing that the strong bond I have established with her
by staying at home these last three years have been worth it. She is now most
comfortable with me but allows room for me to go to work without her feeling like
being abandoned. I know most working women have to leave their kids at as early
as 3 to 6 months to get back into work mode so Pihu has been lucky that way. It
also means I have been lucky enough to be able to become indispensable to her
and make her understand that I am a reliable, loving and omniscient presence in
her life- who she loves being with. When she now acknowledges my presence in
her life saying, “You’re the best mamma ever,” at least I know I have done
something right to deserve that compliment.
At merely 5, Pihu is a sprightly child
with a zest for life that reflects in the easy way she has adjusted to her new
school, friends of different races and communities and a school curriculum that’s
completely different (read ‘no studies’) from the one she has left behind. Pihu’s
father recently narrated an incident that happened while we were watching a touching
film about a college professor called Alice who suffers from Alzheimer’s in her
50s. “Why is everyone sad around her?” Pihu asked him pointing at a scene
where the children are gathered around her as she tells them what ails her. “Because
she is growing old and weak, and she wants to tell her children that.” He
added, “One day I will get as old as her and then I may not be able to take
care of you anymore.” To his surprise, Pihu got all teary-eyed and replied, “I
will take care of you Papa.” So dear Pihu, those are brave words from a 5-year-old,
but do rest assured, that we will never smother you with such expectations.
Hopefully, we will be able to equip ourselves as much as possible so as to
never overwhelm you with our responsibility because that is not what we are
bringing you up for. But do keep surprising us with your antics, your amusing
banter and your thoughtful gestures because it makes our lives that much
fuller. Happy 5 my love!
