So, I am a mother. And like all mothers, my days (and nights as well) revolve around my kid who just turned six years old, by the way.
And some of the craziest and silliest moments of my life have been those where my kid humbled me, showed me my true place, all (apparently) unintentionally.
So, that fine day, I and my kid were taking a ride in an auto. The kid saw a petrol pump and kept staring at it thoughtfully.
I braced myself for what was coming through.
The embarrassing session went something like this:
Kid: What would happen if petrol spills on the road?
Me (unsuccessfully trying to hide my relief, for this question was simple enough, or so I assumed... In the next few minutes, I wouldn't know what hit me): oh, it shouldn't, you know. It can easily catch fire.
Kid (staring at me with wide, curious eyes): Can it flow like water? And when it spills on the road, can it seep beneath the earth? And what happens, if, indeed the petrol spills on the road, seeps beneath, and someone constructs a building over that area, not knowing that there is petrol underneath?? And what if someone's kitchen is just over the area??
Me: Silence. Deep, embarrassing silence…
And sometimes I am 'shocked' into silence.
Like that day, when my six-year-old pleaded to me - 'Please take me to the tattoo shop. I want to get a tattoo!'
And here is another incident to be added to the list of 'Embarrassing Silences Of My Life':
My kid - Amma, what do you mean by feast?
Me (Relieved to find a question that I can actually answer without having to Google it): It is food served and eaten during celebrations and special days.
My kid (smirks at me, searches his bag for something, gives a triumphant expression on finding it, takes it out - it's a packet of biscuits. Then asks coolly) - Then what do you mean by Sunfeast?
Me - Embarrassing silence… (You think I would have got used to this by now!)
And then that particular morning:
Me: Have a look outside, kiddo. It's a dark and cloudy day. It looks like it may rain and there is a strong cold breeze too.
Kid: Will a Toofan come? (He suddenly gets excited). What if a tornado comes? Do we have tornadoes in India, or only in other countries?
Me: (thinking - When, and how did this kid learn about tornadoes?? And then I remembered. He had a chart showing all kinds of Natural Disasters. Right...)
And in the end, as if I wasn't humiliated enough, when the kid saw me struggling to answer him, he coolly said - Why don't you Google it?
Yep. That’s it.
And that's when I purchased five types of an encyclopedia!
I know that these moments, though often silly, crazy and (sometimes) irritating, will turn out to be some of the best memories of the times spent with my kid. I treasure them, I cherish them and I write them out, because giving words is the only tribute I have for these priceless moments of wonder and awe (and of course, embarrassment, goes without saying.).
So bring it on kiddo, ask the heck out of me. Either you will learn, or I will, or it will go down as Another Embarrassing Silence Of My Life, but nevertheless, another beautiful memory to be added to the Hall Of Beautiful Moments!
And some of the craziest and silliest moments of my life have been those where my kid humbled me, showed me my true place, all (apparently) unintentionally.
So, that fine day, I and my kid were taking a ride in an auto. The kid saw a petrol pump and kept staring at it thoughtfully.
I braced myself for what was coming through.
The embarrassing session went something like this:
Kid: What would happen if petrol spills on the road?
Me (unsuccessfully trying to hide my relief, for this question was simple enough, or so I assumed... In the next few minutes, I wouldn't know what hit me): oh, it shouldn't, you know. It can easily catch fire.
Kid (staring at me with wide, curious eyes): Can it flow like water? And when it spills on the road, can it seep beneath the earth? And what happens, if, indeed the petrol spills on the road, seeps beneath, and someone constructs a building over that area, not knowing that there is petrol underneath?? And what if someone's kitchen is just over the area??
Me: Silence. Deep, embarrassing silence…
And sometimes I am 'shocked' into silence.
Like that day, when my six-year-old pleaded to me - 'Please take me to the tattoo shop. I want to get a tattoo!'
And here is another incident to be added to the list of 'Embarrassing Silences Of My Life':
My kid - Amma, what do you mean by feast?
Me (Relieved to find a question that I can actually answer without having to Google it): It is food served and eaten during celebrations and special days.
My kid (smirks at me, searches his bag for something, gives a triumphant expression on finding it, takes it out - it's a packet of biscuits. Then asks coolly) - Then what do you mean by Sunfeast?
Me - Embarrassing silence… (You think I would have got used to this by now!)
And then that particular morning:
Me: Have a look outside, kiddo. It's a dark and cloudy day. It looks like it may rain and there is a strong cold breeze too.
Kid: Will a Toofan come? (He suddenly gets excited). What if a tornado comes? Do we have tornadoes in India, or only in other countries?
Me: (thinking - When, and how did this kid learn about tornadoes?? And then I remembered. He had a chart showing all kinds of Natural Disasters. Right...)
And in the end, as if I wasn't humiliated enough, when the kid saw me struggling to answer him, he coolly said - Why don't you Google it?
Yep. That’s it.
And that's when I purchased five types of an encyclopedia!
I know that these moments, though often silly, crazy and (sometimes) irritating, will turn out to be some of the best memories of the times spent with my kid. I treasure them, I cherish them and I write them out, because giving words is the only tribute I have for these priceless moments of wonder and awe (and of course, embarrassment, goes without saying.).
So bring it on kiddo, ask the heck out of me. Either you will learn, or I will, or it will go down as Another Embarrassing Silence Of My Life, but nevertheless, another beautiful memory to be added to the Hall Of Beautiful Moments!
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