Fish On The Land

Imagine this scenario folks. You are a fish in the ocean. Swimming blissfully with the wild currents, enjoying the breath taking views of the sea world only to be confronted by a deadly fear. What if one day you were to find yourself out of water fighting for life in the treacherous land? Would you survive? Would the fear paralyze you? Is that the end of your bittersweet life?

We as individuals face this fear every day in our lives. We don't want to be the fish out of water. We are satisfied with our ocean, and swimming with the currents. Fear of the unknown keeps us in check. It’s an irony that we are born into this world fearless. As babies we don't have any checks and balances. We essentially learn to survive each day, learning new skills and grappling with the unknown. I understand this even better now as I watch my daughter grow through her infancy. It’s like watching the human spirit evolve in front of your very own eyes. Inch by inch she is expanding her horizons. Fear is unknown to her. As I watched her swim I was amazed to see her animal instincts at work. She just knew how to react in water. She kicked vehemently never once letting up her defenses.Propelled in the waters by her father she floated effortlessly like a little mermaid.Today after my first swim lessons I value those learning’s. I need to be fearless like her. I just need to reignite my survival instincts. In my quest to conquer my biggest fear I hope to rediscover myself. At the end of the day I want to be A FISH ON THE LAND.

First Time Parent Travelogue

This one goes out to all the hapless parents traveling on board with their little ones. Ours began with a bang. Clutching my little 8-month-old daughter I began my first journey into the unknown. I was the perfect image of a harried mother clutching her diaper bag in the one hand and balancing the stroller in the other. My husband on the other hand was juggling four bags of varied dimensions in what seemed an impossible task to accomplish. Yet as a team we managed to reach the security checkpoint without any major mishaps. This was just the beginning. Passing through the myriad checkpoints we struggled to the departure gates with the baby, stroller and four bags. It definitely was a tribute to the indomitable human spirit.

With a happy baby by our side we were ready to conquer the world. Life inevitably has a few surprises in store. As soon as we boarded the flight pushing through the narrow aisle with our trappings we realized the Airplane was not exactly a spacious retreat. Passengers began pouring in and the area grew cramped by the second. Don't we deserve more than this for the hefty price we pay!

Suddenly we grew grouchy and the baby was not as happy any more. This could only spell trouble. Slowing but surely she began to express her feelings. Just as the situation was getting out of hand, the steward approached us and reprimanded us for being so naive. He pulled our baby and began talking to her. Our baby smiled through her tears and seemed to complain about us. It was embarrassing to say the least. The stranger had reached out to our scion. This was not good news. As soon as she was handed back to us the castigation resurfaced. Parents need not know everything right especially the first timers!

As the lord closes one door the other opens. Sympathetic glances were exchanged all around us. Some began to make faces at our little one while others tried to distract her with books and key chains. Now this is how the universe conspires to make things work for you. Slowing but surely the baby was starting to warm up to the flight. Inspired by a renewed vigor and blessed by the camaraderie we geared up for the challenge. I reached for the pre-made milk bottle in my trusty diaper bag and fished out the allergy medicines.Prognosticating what lay in store I diffidently held the tablets and dropped them into the bottle  and said a small prayer. As she lay gulping down her milk at first she seemed more active and then ever so slowing she wore down. She took her nap and we heaved a sigh of relief. We had won the battle of nerves.

This was of course a short journey. Coming up next is the mega travel saga. Till then Parents Just pray and hope the universe is with you.