Fancy dress competition?

“Who is the youngest of all Gods?”
“Why all Gods are looking beautiful?”
“Did the person, who drew the picture of God, actually see Him? If no, how does he know that God will look like this?”
“How can God who is just seen in a picture bless or punish us?”

These were the questions that my daughters raised about God some time back. Though I managed to give them an answer for these questions, they still were still not convinced about my answers.

But today, as I was explaining to them the story of Mahabharata, they seemed to be very much interested about Lord Krishna. At one place Krishna was referred to as omnipotent and in the other place as just a character. One of my daughters did not know the difference between Krishna and the Omnipotent. They asked me what the meaning of Omnipotent is. I said that it means God.

She then started thinking in a different angle I guess. She asked me – “Where is God?” This question is a difficult one to be explained to my 6 ½ year old daughter. But I have the responsibility of clarifying all her doubts to the best of my knowledge.
Me: God is everywhere.
Shruthi: But God is seen everywhere only in pictures!
Me: He is seen by us through those pictures but He is actually present in every atom around us.
Shruthi: How could Arjuna manage to see God?
Me: Arjuna was blessed.
Shruthi: Why God didn’t bless me?
Me: He didn’t bless me either.
Shruthi: If I want to see Him now, what should I do?
Me: You just pray with sincere heart. You might be blessed one day with his grace.
Shruthi: How Krishna will come to know about my prayers and how will He bless me?
Me: He will know. He is God.
Shruthi: What should I do if I want to see all the other Gods too?
Me: All Gods are one.
Shruthi: How come there are different Gods and different pictures of God?
Me: It is because God is one, but just that he assumes different forms.
Shruthi: Why do they come in different forms? Any fancy dress competition going on for them?
Me: :)

Karadaiyan Nonbu

Karadaiyaan nonbu has always been an interesting function at home. The intersection of two Tamil months viz., Maasi and Panguni is when this function is celebrated. A yellow colour thread is tied around every girl’s neck on this day. Usually in South Indian community, only married girls wear the sacred yellow thread around their neck. I still remember those days as an unmarried girl how I used to get embarrassed wearing this around my neck during school and college days. Unfortunately there were very few students in our entire school / college who belonged to the community that celebrates this function. The boys in our school / college had a gala time teasing me this day. The only thing I liked about this day was the sweet they prepare – Nonbu adai.

Nonbu adai is usually served with some butter topping. I simply loved to eat those yummy adais with lots of home made butter that gave a wonderful aroma. Until I got married, I did not care to learn how those delicious adais are made. The first karadaiyan nonbu after marriage was hardly celebrated because my husband and I received an invitation to lunch with his colleagues and boss in Le Meridian, Bahrain. So I cared the least to celebrate this. The second time, my MIL prepared them since I was under bed rest because of pregnancy. The third time, I tried to prepare these adais having my two little infants at home. It was a big flop! The adais came out to be scrambled and tasteless that I had to throw out the entire thing out in the garbage.

The fourth time, I happened to celebrate this in my house back in India. I wanted to see my Mom prepare it but then it did not happen though I tasted those delicious adais with home made butter again! The fifth time I began preparing them with some big hope but it was a bigger flop. It came out like a paste. I just cannot imagine what I did to make it into a paste consistency. My husband, who is equally fond of these adais, tasted a bit of that paste and went away without uttering a word.

The sixth time I was in my in-laws’ house where again I got to eat them without preparing. I simply considered myself lucky to get to eat them at least since I flopped every time I prepared. That year, I decided to learn how to prepare it by trying it leisurely on some other day so that I can gain experience. That too did not happen. The seventh and the eighth time, these adais were not prepared that day since on one occasion, my daughters fell sick and the next time, I fell sick.

Today is Karadaiyan Nonbu again. But what a magic! These adais turned out to be perfectly well this time without any hassle. I had those adais with lots of ‘lurpak’ butter. It tasted truly yummy! My kids too loved them.

Finally, my kids asked me the significance of this function. Actually this day is celebrated in commemoration of the victory of Sathi Savithri who fought with Yama – the Lord of Death and brought back her husband. So this day is celebrated praying for the longevity of their husband. But I do not know for what reason unmarried girls too celebrate this event. I did not know how to explain all these to my daughters. So I just told them that today is the most auspicious day for unmarried girls to pray for a good husband and married girls for the prosperity of their husbands. But they asked me yet another question – “When is that auspicious day for unmarried and married boys to celebrate this occasion?” I do not have an answer. Mythology is yet to provide me a story where husbands prayed for the longevity of their wives.

Eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth

Some days back, my husband and I were having a discussion. One of my daughters intervened and asked what were we talking about. I smiled at her and said, "Nothing for you darling. You may not understand. Just go back and play." She gave me a bizarre look. The meaning of her look seemed to me thus - "What is there for you both to discuss without my intervention and what the hell have you got to discuss that I cannot understand?"

A couple of days back my daughters were talking something from the hall and I couldn't hear them since I was operating the mixie. I thought that the two were talking to me. So soon after I was done with the mixie, I went to them and asked, "What?"
Shruthi: What "what"?
Me: What do you want to say?
Shruthi: Nothing
Me: I heard you both talking while I was operating the mixie
Shruthi: Oh that?! That was anyway not meant for you
Me: @#?! What? Not meant for me?
Shruthi: Yes. Not meant for you. We were discussing something about our school and friends that which you will not know or understand.

Oops! Was this a tit for tat for what I did a few days back? I got to watch every step I take, I wish they are not going to turn out to be revengeful in the future!!

Staying in touch

Yesterday was my daughters' last day at school. They would soon be moving to the next grade and probably miss out some friends as a result of the shuffle they might do for the next academic year. My daughters joined this school just 5 months back and it is amazing to learn that they made good friends in this short period and because of them they loved to go to school everyday.

Last evening we had been out for a brief shopping and as we were coming back home, my daughters asked me for my mobile phone. I asked them the reason. They told me that they have obtained the telephone numbers of most of her friends to call them during these holidays. I was surprised to learn about the measures they have already started adopting to stay in touch with their friends. Friends have already started playing a great role in the minds of my young daughters. I just told them that they can call their friends the next day since it was too late last night.

The real test of patience

The next twenty five days are going to be a virtual test of my patience. Yes, my kids’ school has closed and the next academic year is about to begin by April 5th and guess what – my kids will move on to Grade II from next month. How time flies! I still remember the day when they were born. I have heard that it is quite normal for any child to cry as soon as they are born. But my kids made a brief hum. I asked the nurse if it is clinically termed as ‘cry’ and she smiled at me and answered in the affirmative. For many days after birth, I hardly heard them cry that I began to panic. But now I realize that they were God given days of calm before a storm and now I am in the midst of the deafening sound of the storm.

Naturally restless am I. I just cannot sit at a place watching TV or doing nothing. How will I allow my kids to remain at home doing nothing? So I am seriously planning out a schedule for their holidays with loads of interesting activities for Mommy and kidos. I have planned for some brain activities, colouring stuff, creative paper-craft, reading activities, and many such things. They are pretty much excited about their holidays. I will hardly have any time to sit and relax! But it is part of the game. All said and done, it is indeed a wonderful experience to be a Mother. I have to prepare a ‘To do’ list to equip myself before we start our holiday programme.
I should be prepared with lots of goodies for them to munch
I got to buy glitter glue
I need to buy some small toys as a reward for both of them at the end of every week.

I have to bear many things in mind before drafting the schedule of activities for the holiday. –
I should allot too many snack breaks in their holiday schedule
I should not ruin their holiday fun by getting annoyed over their silly pranks
I should imbibe patience in my mind
I should imbibe patience in my mind
I should imbibe patience in my mind.

Let me play and enjoy with them for the next twenty five days.