Wish Growing Up Was Optional!!
When I grow up, I will drink cola and tea/coffee.. When I grow up, I will do the nail polish.. When I grow up I will watch television till late or play games on the mobile.. these are the daily dialogues of Little Miss M when she is not allowed to do certain things. But kiddo, when you will actually grow up, you will realize life will not be this beautiful again. There will be no time and place for such innocence. Growing up also means growing apart!!
When I was a child, I would put my arms inside my t-shirt and told people I lost my arms, would restart the video game whenever I knew I was going to lose, had that one pen with four colors and tried to push all of them at the same time, faked being asleep so that I could be carried to bed, used to think that moon followed our car, the only thing I had to take care of was my school bag, when I swallowed a fruit seed, I was scared to death that a tree was going to grow inside my tummy. I just couldn’t wait to grow up when I was a kid. But now I realize, what the hell was I thinking? Growing up is like peeling an onion, every stage of it you cry.. Peel after peel you cry!!
It is not that I have a sulking life or one full of hardship. By god’s grace I have a very loving husband and a supportive family, a daughter who is my heartbeat and a lifestyle which is very satisfactory. But yes as you grow up, you are burdened with the responsibilities that life presumes from you. There is so much pressure at each stage be it the competitions in school, academics or sports, board exams or college life. When you pass out from college, it’s time for a good career, then a healthy married life, and then parents to a responsible citizen. There are so many hidden expectations at every phase of life.
But, as they say, growing up is inevitable. And for you, my dear child I wish as you grow up, be adaptable, learn, create, solve, discover, challenge yourselves, learn to work together, imagine, learn to lead, express, explore, develop an inquiring mind, manage stress, speak, read, write, count, play, be healthy, laugh and have fun .. Because in your budding years that’s what all matters!! And in your teens as you grow up, you will learn that the people, who were never supposed to let you down, probably will. You will have your heart broken and you will break others hearts. You will fight with your best friend. You will cry because time is flying by and eventually you will lose someone you love. You will face many competitors but that should not bog you down. So you will have to laugh too much, forgive freely and love like you have never been hurt. Because every second that you will spend angry or upset, would be a second of happiness that you will never get back!! And most importantly, I want you to grow up as a good human being and my BEST Friend!!
I am sure right now you will not understand any of these fundas and would want to grow up as soon as possible so that you can become your own master, but believe me nothing in this world can beat the purity of childhood!!
As late Mr.Jagjit Singh has rightly said – “ye daulat bhi le lo, ye shohrat bhi le lo, magar mujhko lauta do bachpan ka saawan, wo kaaghaz ki kashti, wo baarish ka paani!!”
I am Nitika Sipani, an interior designer by profession, full-time job as of now is that of a mother of a 2-year-old daughter (Myra) whom I dearly call ‘Little Miss M’! Of all the jobs till date, this one is the most challenging and every day is a new learning experience!! I enjoy writing and have developed it as a hobby, would like to become a freelance writer someday! You can connect with me on my blog: Juss lik dat.
