Diwali is one time of the year when every nook and corner of the house is cleaned, upholstery is changed and the house is revamped.
It is a tiring process but the efforts are worthwhile. After all, who does not like sparkling clean beautiful house.
This time, I really wished for my house to be as clean as it used to be when I was not a mother. The candleholders, flower vases, rangoli — I wanted everything to be just perfect. Much like a house you envision in your dreams.
As I cleaned and decorated the house instead of feeling happier, I felt tired and irritable. The house was sparkling like the way I wanted and yet I was not glad and wondered what went wrong.
It was then my 4 year old taught me the biggest lesson. When I asked him “Doesn’t the house look pretty?” with all his simplicity and innocence he answered, “ It does! But maman I can’t play in the house anymore. Papa told me that I might break something or spoil the decorations and that will make you sad.”
It was at that moment it hit me that while I was trying to make the house perfect, I ended up robbing the house of its sparkle. The sparkle which comes from the giggles of the children who live in the house and not the lights.
My eyes were moist and I knew why, so I set to re-decorate the house to bring the sparkle back. And on the way learned these zen lessons, which my little one taught me, that bring true joy!
Lessons My Kid Taught Me This Diwali
1. The prettiest rangoli is not the one without flaws but the one, which displays the creativity and love of your child.
2. Dressing up for Diwali is fun when you don’t worry about the dry cleaning. Let your child be free and play without having to worry about his/her new dress. Like the ad from Surf Excel proclaims… Daag ache hain!
3. Best Diwali puja is the one in which children sing their own made up devotional songs. These songs have the powers to reach the heaven… they are straight from the innocent, pure hearts.
4. Perfect Diwali laddoos are the ones with the shape of your child’s fist. Trust me, nothing tastes sweeter and tastier than them. Thy make the best homemade dessert ever!
5. Flower garlands look best when your children tug along them. The aroma from the squeezed mashed flowers really fills up the house.
6. Candles are an excellent math activity for kids. Children learn counting better by blowing out candles than by anything else.
7. Junk food does taste better on Diwali. Let them gorge on those sweets, puris, murkus and matthis. It is all right…They are making memories.
8. No technology, no ipad can beat the story telling skills of grandma and grandpa.
9. Sticky, dirty hands are better at making memories than clean ones.
10. Goddess Laxmi and Lord Ganesh surely visit the homes filled with laughter and warmth and not necessarily the cleanest ones.
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