Grumblers Beware

There are these sunny people. They are super fun to be with. Carefree and happy about themselves and the world. Have a nice thing to say whenever you meet them and go around with a song in their heart and a dance in their step. When you talk to these people you end up feeling charged and joyful. And then there are the cloudy folks. They walk around like Atlas with the weight of the world on their shoulders. Every little thing right form brushing their teeth seems to be a chore and they can’t seem to find happiness in any activity that they do. They pass their time stuck in a time warp making excuses about why they have been wronged or given a raw deal by life making excuses for their incapability. They sigh more than they smile and they are full of “I couldn’t.. because” like the recent Boost commercial puts it “Losers just make excuses. Winners just go out and win”. These cloudy folk are typically ones who just live in the hope that some magical transformation will come into take them away from their life of drudgery. But I believe that even if such a thing were to happen, they will find a way to stay unhappy and grumble about how tough life is and what martyrs they are. I have a cute little song for these cloudy folk who grumble all the while

In country town or city
Some people can be found
Some people who are grumbling
At everything around

They grumble on Monday
Teusday Wednesday
Grumble on Thursday too
Grumble on Friday, Saturday Sunday
Grumble the whole week through

They grumble at their husbands
They grumble at their wives
They grumble at their children
They grumble all their lives.

That just about sums these people up. I learnt this song as a kid and warned myself never to become one of the grumblers. I sing this to my children whenever they whine about something. I only wish this song could be made into a national anthem so we can get everybody out of sulking sprees and get on with life spreading cheer and joy.

Parenting Blues

When I was younger and blindly in love I never did realize what my parents would be feeling. When my mother used to say, you will feel this anguish only when you have a daughter and she does this to you. Time flew and I did have a daughter. It turns out that this daughter who is all of seven years old is already sure of what she wants. She decides her clothes for the day and what hairstyle to sport etc. She thinks mini skirts are ugly and wild unkempt hair falling all over her face is her coolest look. She conveniently loses her spectacles when she is all dolled up for a party. I suffer in silence and silently offer my apologies to my mother. The recent long drawn argument I’ve been having with my daughter is about getting a haircut. I’ve been reasoning with her that, since she is so averse to having a comb come in contact with her hair, she needs to get the length down to a boy cut level. Her reactions have been violent- screams of protest saying that if I liked a boy cut so much, I should get one for myself first. How do you like that?

Yesterday after a long session of coaxing and reasoning, I finally managed to convince her that she would look most beautiful in a boy cut. And the poor little thing agreed. Whew. That was some victory for me. But later on, as she slept peacefully on my shoulders, I felt a rush of guilt wash over me. My little princess liked to wear her long. What was really wrong with that? If I had my way and cut her hair, she’d feel lousy till her hair grows again. She’d keep regretting that moment of weakness when she agreed for a haircut and I didn’t want even that little bit of regret causing her any pain. I decided that she could grow her hair. Later, I realized I couldn’t sleep for an awfully long time as I was haunted by a single thought. For something as silly as a haircut, I just wanted nothing but my daughter’s happiness and let go. Tomorrow if she chooses the man of her life and I don’t agree with her choice, how on earth am I going to take a tough decision. Parenting is serious business. I am beginning to wonder if I am any good at it!