Nothing is ever made to last forever, but we can make something better, extend its life, nourish it, nurture it and value it, so it is as good as lasting forever and as well becomes precious while it lasts. Isn't it? That saree, which was passed down from my grandmother is so precious. It is unique. I put an extra effort to keep it for longer. I wear it only on one of those rare occasions, rather the saree carries the definition on when it needs to be worn. I am mindful of how to clean it, fold it and place it in my wardrobe so it stays put well until the next time I get an opportunity to be with it.
Same is the case with our own bodies. Babies have such supple, glowing and healthy looking skin. It gets wrinkled as we progress into old age. However we take all the steps to safeguard it and nourish it in every way possible. As my grandmother's saree and my own body is very unique, it comes naturally to me to care for them in a special way. It remains in my awareness that they are so special that I would most probably not miss out on the kind of care they deserve.
Now, how about everyday things? Look around. Is there something, that is waiting for you to come and take care? I am sure there will be something like that. For instance, I have been reading the Sai Satcharithra book to my eight old year old daily from last two weeks. The book's hard cover fell off after few days. We put it aside and continued to read the book everyday. After some days the first page started to coil at the edges and started to tear a bit. It did not occur to me that I needed to stick the cover back, so it stays put, until my husband brought it to my awareness. Was it so challenging to fix? No, but it is just that my awareness did not happen to go there.
Being with the daily routine may sometimes make us go about the tasks mechanically. We get carried away with what has been going on as we try to keep up with the routine. We are in a situation where each family is on its own with little or no support, and with restricted movement. We are confined to home most of the time. There is no rush to commute often and so the otherwise busy mornings to do things within a strict schedule, are rare. Especially, children are at home mostly. Home is where they are living, playing, exploring, observing and learning, whether one teaches them or not. More so with very young ones. Hence it becomes essential for adults of the house, now than ever to be more aware in the home environment and look at how things are. Whether you need to attend to something that has been calling out to you from quite sometime? Whether we are overlooking the little things and are staying content with an 'all is well at home' feeling? Whether we are wondering what is that tiny piece, that is missing from your idea of complete home? These little things of taking few moments to understand the environment and carry the feeling to make it better is what the existing situation is asking us to do.
It is time to extend ourselves a little more. From your own bodies to that, which is around you, which is holding you together as a family in these challenging circumstances. And that is the real learning children need, to be able to look at you with those innocence filled sparkling eyes and absorb that caring adult into their own being. We teach children, just by ourselves being a little more aware and show little more care. This experience of doing something to care enhances their learning and builds love and reverence for what they have been given. It could be cleaning all the play material, reorganising your kitchen, closet clearing and keeping clothes/toys aside for donation, folding those stack of clothes lying, sewing the torn clothes, mending the broken toys, polishing the dull furniture, fixing a leaking tap - the list is endless! There is no big or small work, as long as we start doing with all the care that we can offer. Let's care for ourselves and extend the care to the space around us. Keep the element of care alive to explore the possibilities at home and beyond. Let us give an opportunity for our children to learn from living.
Same is the case with our own bodies. Babies have such supple, glowing and healthy looking skin. It gets wrinkled as we progress into old age. However we take all the steps to safeguard it and nourish it in every way possible. As my grandmother's saree and my own body is very unique, it comes naturally to me to care for them in a special way. It remains in my awareness that they are so special that I would most probably not miss out on the kind of care they deserve.
Now, how about everyday things? Look around. Is there something, that is waiting for you to come and take care? I am sure there will be something like that. For instance, I have been reading the Sai Satcharithra book to my eight old year old daily from last two weeks. The book's hard cover fell off after few days. We put it aside and continued to read the book everyday. After some days the first page started to coil at the edges and started to tear a bit. It did not occur to me that I needed to stick the cover back, so it stays put, until my husband brought it to my awareness. Was it so challenging to fix? No, but it is just that my awareness did not happen to go there.
Being with the daily routine may sometimes make us go about the tasks mechanically. We get carried away with what has been going on as we try to keep up with the routine. We are in a situation where each family is on its own with little or no support, and with restricted movement. We are confined to home most of the time. There is no rush to commute often and so the otherwise busy mornings to do things within a strict schedule, are rare. Especially, children are at home mostly. Home is where they are living, playing, exploring, observing and learning, whether one teaches them or not. More so with very young ones. Hence it becomes essential for adults of the house, now than ever to be more aware in the home environment and look at how things are. Whether you need to attend to something that has been calling out to you from quite sometime? Whether we are overlooking the little things and are staying content with an 'all is well at home' feeling? Whether we are wondering what is that tiny piece, that is missing from your idea of complete home? These little things of taking few moments to understand the environment and carry the feeling to make it better is what the existing situation is asking us to do.
It is time to extend ourselves a little more. From your own bodies to that, which is around you, which is holding you together as a family in these challenging circumstances. And that is the real learning children need, to be able to look at you with those innocence filled sparkling eyes and absorb that caring adult into their own being. We teach children, just by ourselves being a little more aware and show little more care. This experience of doing something to care enhances their learning and builds love and reverence for what they have been given. It could be cleaning all the play material, reorganising your kitchen, closet clearing and keeping clothes/toys aside for donation, folding those stack of clothes lying, sewing the torn clothes, mending the broken toys, polishing the dull furniture, fixing a leaking tap - the list is endless! There is no big or small work, as long as we start doing with all the care that we can offer. Let's care for ourselves and extend the care to the space around us. Keep the element of care alive to explore the possibilities at home and beyond. Let us give an opportunity for our children to learn from living.
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