WhatsApp has found ardent devotees worldwide, and no points for guessing, India leads the group with 550 million monthly active users. We make use of the service to the utmost degree. Beyond texting, we laugh, cry, gossip, and argue. To be specific, we express every emotion running in our blood through the free audio and video calls offered by the app.
Just a few days ago, I stealthily disconnected myself from one of those group calls, all thanks to Mommy, who can be very stubborn at times. I was too impatient to hear her ranting, and the best choice was to drop the call.
There was a discussion going on to book air tickets to her dear home from which she has been away for a few months. I understand her excitement to go back to the headquarters, but her point of view was rather annoying. She was rallying to take an insanely early morning flight so that she could reach in the beginning of the day to get the house all tidied up. Her worry was that during five months of her absence, dust must have accumulated in layers all over the house.
What was overlooked was the fact that she would have to wake up at 2 AM to be at the airport on time and catch the flight. The youngest granddaughter pointed out the logistics: Having to get up at such wee hours would take a toll on her health. However, she was refuted by my octogenarian mother who said that it was not a big deal for her to rise up that early. After all, she has the habit of getting up at 5 AM or earlier every day. This is the same person who has lectured me on the necessity of having a proper sleep schedule. According to her, I’m no longer young. I need proper rest and should not stress out over small things, she says. I have also been advised umpteen times that I should go a little easy on cleaning the house excessively. So now how do the dynamics change? She does the opposite of whatever she advises me on a constant basis.
The case of the missing collar
“Are you even aware that one side of your shirt collar is stuck inside?” This is one of several instances when my better half was not too pleased to see the offspring’s carelessness. He often has his two cents for the young man for being absent-minded while doing things. And for a change, my husband, who is extremely careful, does something similar. He is about to step out of the house, shirt buttoned in the wrong way and one side hanging out of place.
“I was in a hurry,” comes the explanation (or excuse I’d say) when the unmindfulness is pointed out. The son has a laugh, thrilled that Dad could be in the same boat as him once in a blue moon, if not always.
Life is sweet, but calories from desserts are not!!
I have volumes to say about the son’s sweet tooth while admitting that he has gotten my genes. For years, I have been going through the same lessons with him on how he should reduce his intake of sweets. Obviously he does not happen to be an eager, happy listener.
Now a different story unfolds in the kitchen. I express my desire to have some pistachio ice cream late at night close to 11 PM. The husband offers a sensible piece of advice that I should have it during the day, rather than close to bed time. I do not forget what he has said and have that imprinted in my mind. The next afternoon, I sit down with a bowl full of ice cream. After I have finished it, I ask the son for a second helping. I am in my late fifties and on health grounds definitely not that young to go on a sweet fiesta!
The son looks at me surprised but keeps quiet and does not criticize me for overindulgence. There could be two reasons. Either he is polite, or he has seized the opportunity to fill his own bowl too.
I wonder what all these incidents have to say and how I can summarize them.
Let me go for the punchline here!
Well, rules can be broken, silliness is sometimes allowed, and examples do not always have to be better than precept!
rashmi writes 