While getting dinner ready a few days ago in the context of something J said, I explained that Indians believe in Athithi Deva Bhavo and so in our culture we attach a great deal of importance to being gracious and hospitable to our guests - invited and uninvited alike. That in serving them we are serving God.
So here I was feeling good about myself, making my little speech that would further the cause of our "culture" and "tradition" , when J interrupted to say "All parents should treat their children as God too". How is that I inquired failing to make the connection with the discussion at hand.
"When children come out their mother's tummy, they become the guest of the parents. A guest who just stays for a very long time. A life-over instead of just a sleep-over". I had to agree that would be a valid parallel and therefore by the standards of treating your guest like they were God, parents need to do the same with their children.
J clarified that life-over was like sleep-over and also they children stayed with the parents until their (the parents) life was over. I thanked her for the clarification as I smiled to myself - teaching J has always been a learning experience.
crossings as in traversals, contradictions, counterpoints of the heart though often not..
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Saving More
I did not know about Zepto but found this strategy interesting. They have a new ‘Swap and Save’ feature, which automatically suggests cheap...
-
An expat desi friend and I were discussing what it means to return to India when you have cobbled together a life in a foreign country no ma...
-
Recently a desi dude who is more acquaintance less friend called to check in on me. Those who have read this blog before might know that suc...
-
When I read this TIME article on the trend of American expats giving up their US citizenship because of unfriendly tax laws, the first com...
3 comments:
Child is indeed the father of man (and woman)!
Assuming J is your kid, what a smart kid!
Vikas - How true !
Sinusoidally - Children often say the most profound things. I don't know if it as much about being smart as it is about being innocent and therefore closer to God..There is this lovely book I read once Children's Letters To God - you can check it out on Amazon. What an amazing amount of wit and wisdom in 96 pages ! It all comes from young children. If only adults were able to think so clearly :)
Post a Comment