Dear Ananya – 2

You are 2 today. Your birthday always takes me back to the day you arrived into this world. The day also makes me acutely aware of the limited entity we call “time”. Amazing how time flies!

It has been a delight watching you grow. I have realised that this journey is becoming more and more about myself than you. Sometimes it feels more like a Desciple-Guru relationship than a father-daugter relationship. You have taught me so many important things about life in just two years which could have easily taken a lifetime otherwise. Simple things like going to a park and swinging on a swing with you, going to a zoo and watching an animal with you, walking on the beach with you; brings so much joy! Watching chandamama at night with you immerses me in total elation. I realised how divorced adultery is from such simple joys of life. Sometimes I wonder if one of the reasons why we humans procreate is to have that experience of being child again. We crave for such pure unfiltered innocence that adult life is so devoid of.

The journey of parenting is paved with peaks and valleys. Some days are full of exhaustion and frustration while some are full of gratitude and happiness. It is so annoying when you don’t do what I want you to do, even if it is for your own good. People tell me it’s just the beginning! These events teach me great deal of patience over my default reaction. It also teaches me that there’s always a better way to bring an agreement by letting go of control. You do all these crazy things but then, you also melt my heart when you realise daddy isn’t happy; and you come to say “ Daddy Soiiyyyee (sorry)”!

You fell down on your face few days ago and hurt yourself badly. It scared the life out of me when I saw my t-shirt painted with your blood. But then, you astounded me with your attitude on the way to doctor’s! You had a cut in the gum and a swollen lip however, ten minutes later, you behaved as if nothing had happened. When I saw that, I truly understood the difference between pain and suffering. Pain is a physical sensation while suffering is the story our minds create around that pain. I wish I could deal with my chronic pain like you dealt with yours that day!

I and Mumma both love you to the moon and back.

Happy birthday and God bless you.

P.S. — We still can’t figure out what has happened that you are suddenly so scared of bathtime and simply refuse to enter the bathtub! We will keep working on solving this mystery.