My Musings

Something about children always brightens up our lives and makes us wonder why we couldn't be the same way. I've come across that feeling many a time. Some of my cousins have come over from Australia to my home in Chennai . I got to see them when i went home for the weekend. It's a pity that got to spend only a couple of days with them though I'm seeing them after more than 10 years. They are all much younger than me and are enjoying their childhood. I had a great time and the time just flew by. On the way back I was pondering as to what makes children so much fun to be with.

What is it that makes children different from us. One thing is definitely their innocence. Their quest for knowing something new is almost insatiable. They come up with so many questions; some simple, some funny, some weird and some that we find very difficult to answer. I often wonder why i don't ask many questions like a child. I don't know what happened but somewhere along the line I lost my creativity. My mind doesn't work like it used to when i was 10 years old. I hardly question the status quo and just go about like a machine doing what i'm asked to do. I'm always amused and secretly admire people who ask many doubts when they are taught something new because I struggles to raise up a single doubt. I know it's easy to put the blame on the education system and come up with a phrase like "I was born intelligent but education ruined me" but I believe I also had a part to play in loss of my creative ability. I'm still searching within me to see if I can rekindle my passion to learn, to question, to create something new.

Coming back to the little ones, more than anything, what caught my attention was that children are free from any worries or anxiety. They are carefree creatures and that's why they are so cheerful, bubbling with energy and enthusiasm whereas we are tied down with our own burdens and cares. We start a day wondering how we are going to make it through the day. I guess most of us wonder what we are going to do 2 years from now; what job would we be in? marriage probably?....We have so many things crowding our minds. I wasn't even bothered about what tomorrow would bring when i was in school but now I'm expected to atleast have a plan as to what i want to do in the future. Sometimes i wish if i could just leave everything in the background and enjoy each moment as a child would. Maybe you too wish the same. It's not as hard as it seems. One thing that helps me be free from worries and troubles is to give them over to God cause i know He will take care of things much better than me. It's all about getting our priorities right. We've got to give more time to things we value the most.

To sign off I'm reminded of the lines of a poem called "Leisure" i learnt when i was in 5th standard. I don't remember all the lines but here are a few.

What is this life if full of care

We have no time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughs

And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see when woods we pass

Where squirells hid their nuts in grass.

........

What is this life if full of care

We have no time to stand and stare.