It's 14th November today. Chacha Nehru's Birthday. Children's day. As I keep thinking about this day, my mind wanders back in time- to the time when I was school- the celebrations, the games, the songs, the dances, the sweets, the fun. Memories come flooding back! All I could say is the best part of life is Childhood or I'd rather say the best part of most of our lives is childhood.
I don't exactly remember the time when I was a toddler, but mom does narrate a few funny incidents of the naughty me! Eating Maggi soup cubes thinking they were chocolates is one! Hiding behind a tank in the field as I didn't want to return from Grandma's place is another. And this one mom never forgets -inviting the postman for tea all because of my practice of my newly acquired vocabulary! :-P I don't remember any of these, yet they don't fail to bring a smile on my face. I remember playing house game with my friends.I remember going to school for the first time. The time when all the other kids around were crying and I was the only one smiling! I was all excited you see. School was fun. And those memories- those would make an entire book by themselves!
But why is childhood so special, so joyous? Think about it. We never had to worry about so many things. Life was simple and our parents did everything they could to bring smiles on our faces and they still do. When things were not going well, we would just cry and let those tears out and within sometime our sorrow was a thing of past. We had lots of friends and those friends had a lot of time for us. And if there no one, we always had our teddy whom we could tell all our joys and woes.
Our only demands were for some chocolates, ice creams, candies and some toys. Some cartoons on TV and the day would be the best! Hide and seek, hopscotch, lagori with friends in the evening would make the day complete. Summer holidays meant visiting Grandma's place and meeting all the cousins. A trip to some where would be fun. Life was simple and things were easy. We would fight with our siblings and friends. But then those fights were forgotten in a few minutes and there we were playing together and hugging each other. We shared things with our friends and siblings.We were honest as we in our innocence didn't know what lying meant. We were curious. Asked numerous questions, found answers and if found none we would make our own answers and explanations.We had our own share of dreams for the future - a super hero, an astronaut, and what not! We had no cares, no worries and we always slept soundly at night! Bliss! Life was bliss!
But then things changed! We grew up. More worries, more problems, more grudges, more of everything except joy. Those days of bliss were forgotten as time became scarce. And life moved at a fast pace.
But there is one thing I can be sure of- My childhood was the best! Kids these days don't get enough attention from their parents and then technology has taken over their lives. The world has changed. It is not the place it used to be. Yet, we still have lots to learn from children.
This may seem childish but if a fairy were to come to me asking me what would you like me to give you, I'd say
"Take me back in time to when I was kid.
Mom, Dad, brother, friends, that's all I need.
That time of bliss let it freeze,
Grant me this little wish, please! "
How I wish it could come true!
