Leaves from childhood ....

Perfection is a state of completeness and flawlessness... The parallel existence of two concepts of perfection, one meaning 'strict', implying perfection as such and the other 'loose', implying excellence, has given rise since antiquity to the single paradox that the greatest perfection is imperfection... Perfect examples for it are seen when we rear our children...

Every parent will vouch that while rearing children, life is never dull... When they are small you never have time to think what fun it is... Once they are grown and fly away from nest you are left to mull at what these instances really mean in your life, though some are imperfect at that time are perfect to reminisce...

Here are a few instances where perfect at that time are perfect at any time and imperfect at that time are perfect later on..

Can you beat the joy of the child who is amused at the sight of a swaying leaf and  at the movement of the breeze, breaks into peals of laughter that is contagious...

A child trying to catch the beautiful butterfly in a meadow, who by herself is as delicate and dainty as the butterfly itself...

The joyful ditty and the little jig the child breaks into while being pleased at the simplest of things... be it a bar of chocolate, a cone of ice cream, a stuffed doll that had captured the heart or a pet....

The visit to the zoo.... The joy of the child on seeing the majestic giraffe straining its neck to reach the tree top... the smile adorning while eyes are on  the dolphins playful  yet elegant jumps... the happiness at seeing the stately swans swimming under the bridge... Imitating a lion or tiger or a polar bear walking along with it from beyond the moat... the counter chatter to the monkeys... the glee at feeding a goat/lamb from hand... the smile when little hand pats  cows and horses... the expression when the hand touches the cold nose of the pet dog for the first time and of course the imitation of the big cats...

The gasp at the sprinkle of water from the trunk of the showering elephant on a blustery day... the serious waiting  by the tortoise pen for it to move irrespective of the urging and the incentive offered... the silent watching of the duck family wading in the water and the query popping out, why is her family so small where as the little duck had a big one... the cuddling when they see the koala and its baby... are etched in the memory...
The urge to draw these animals after that experience...

The nudge by the daughter to her father to draw an elephant early in the morning and when complied saying it is not really what she was thinking, getting it done to her satisfaction and feeling proud of her dad's drawing prowess...

On a hot summer day when dad comes home for lunch and takes a break with a power nap... The young toddler who rushes to lie alongside is wide awake but hearing the snore coming from his dad, trying to imitate, starts snoring with his eyes wide open and in between breaks into a giggle at his own antic... The warning call of his name from his mother subdues it but after a lapse of a  few seconds cannot resist from trying it out once more... the result... mother-son duo ending up in silent mirth...

When a father calls his daughter... honey, the child is not really pleased... Gently the kid asks her father... please, please, please, with a cherry on top... can I skip being your honey? I would be very glad to be your ketchup...The reason, she loves ketchup not honey... The straight face act of the dad and mom as they accede to her request is worthy of an Oscar...

When a father-daughter duo go for a drive, daughter not more than three years, seeing a policeman asks her father who is it? Father tells her its the police... As they near the traffic police, she leans out of the car and shouts out Namaskara Policeappa...  The father is embarrassed by her effusiveness... The reaction of the policeman, a screwed up face with shock at first is worth watching but the sight of an innocent  sweet face and the lovely greeting by the young one brings a smile and salutes her back...

When every night at bedtime, the father narrates stories of burglars and policemen , ending with the right being the might,  the child wants a new one to be narrated each time. At his wit's end one day, he comes up with a dual personality policeman,  a friendly policeman by day changing into a scary burglar at night... Next time they see a policeman in the city square,  father is flummoxed by the child's query in hushed whisper, is he the one who is  the burglar at night? That brought out the curtains to that line of story and gave rise to the walk to the beach...

Every day the child is driven to school, the child with a brilliant smile waves at a policeman... He too reciprocates... Every time when the same car passes by, he bends down to check whether the kid is there... Could see the smile lighting up when he finds her sitting there and a thoughtful expression when he missed her.  When he couldn't see the child for a few days,  stops the car to ask about the kid...

When a mother goes to the City Office she hears the whisper, she is that kid's mother and  she is stumped by the queries on the whereabouts of her kid who is now a grown up... Years earlier, going to the city office with grandma, the child had endeared herself with her penchant to talk to all and sundry...  

When the father is away, the son holding his father's picture to his heart and carrying it around the house just like he used to  with his teddy bear, day in and out ...

When the mother and daughter are commuting in an auto,  at the signal lights happen to glance at the auto rickshaw pulling up next to them. Seeing the occupant, the child raising her hand in salute to a brave heart in Army fatigues.... the surprise expression replaced by a smile on the face and the acknowledgement by the young Army man, has the love and pride reflected on the face of the mother at the impromptu gesture by her progeny...

The  three year old rubbing her hands over her eyes cries bitterly on waking up... when asked for the reason haltingly comes the tearful reply, Sakshath beat her... a result of  her imagination running wild... a replay of her sister's narration of the days events in her school the previous evening... 

The three year old, rubbing the Iodex with vigour on the bed sheet after seeing a drop of blood stain... result of a crushed mosquito... a direct application of the knowledge that the mother had used  Iodex on her mosquito bite to soothe it...

When dad started to converse at the commercial break during the News Hour, the child questioning him why was he disturbing her during her news time when he had asked her to be quiet during his... rendering the father speechless... The jingles of the commercials were her news...

After explaining in detail what is a bridge to a four year old on their way to a hill station...  that it  connects the peaks across the valley, the father took the kid to a Teppothsava in a temple...

While explaining the ritual and its significance he used the colloquial word  sethuve to describe a small bridge in the tank where the earthen decorated lamps were set afloat on a float housing the smaller idols of the main deity... The child face palmed and said why don't you use the simple term bridge and bridge it is...

The toddler amazed at seeing his mother sleeping due to headache in the daytime and asking her later,  does she really sleep?, He had thought she never  slept... He was used to seeing her up and about in all his wakeful  hours ...

When  three year old who was always curious, asked quite a few questions to his neighbour. The lady found it difficult to answer... Her husband who was reading the Newspaper and watching the whole sequence of events told the child, since he is a Professor, the child could ask him and he would answer everything... The child asked, everything? The Professor nodded and said, Yes, anything and everything will be answered... Pat came the query from the child, why does Ravana possess ten heads? The Professor was in a quandary how to answer this question in the way the child can understand... After a few minutes of silence, the wife  who was stiffling her mirth with utter difficulty, heard to her utter astonishment... Except that question I can answer you anything else.. and he dived back into the newspaper...

A mother, asked her son to help  out while folding a double bed sheet. She asked him to hold the other end. Complying to her request, after  folding the sheet lengthwise he brings it towards her to  fold it further, singing the lilting tune of  'Rabbave'... This left the mother in stitches... It was her face palm time...

That was a replay of the scene of a Hindi TV serial,  Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon, where its the duppata between  the protagonists... The effect of  his mother watching that serial...

Along with these happy memories, there are the ones that wrench your heart too... Like the one narrated below...

Mother is in a hurry in the morning preparing dosa's and also the lunch box for  the elder kid, having run late on that particular day. The younger one who is also seated at the table, a toddler, understands the hurry and tells the mother that he can wait for the second helping until the preparations for the older one gets over... In a hurry to drop the child to school on time, mother  forgets that the younger one is waiting... Seeing the mother getting ready to go out, a lone tear dropping from the eyes of the teary child while he asks, what about my second helping? leaves the mother helpless... Luckily, when the extended family comes t the rescue by taking the onus to drop the older one at school, she could attend to the kid in need and give enough time to console the child and assurances  that he too is quite important to her... Though she gets a beatific smile for her endeavor, the tear filled eyes glistening in dull disappointment of recognition of having been forgotten has the mother berating herself and it haunts her like nothing ever could... A lesson for lifetime...

But these nostalgic thoughts more often than not bring in a smile on our face and many a time, warmth in our heart... So who wants to be perfect when you gain such rich experience and memories to live by being not so perfect...

This is dedicated to all the dads, the moms and the Gen Next...

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