Relentless

Kept seeing parenting being called as Relentless. This word had not quite made it to my dictionary. But then in none of my wildest dreams, I was stranded right in middle of the city, at middle of night, with two tiny people to take care off, with no communication... well, almost!

Ok, but I am jumping myself there. Let’s start at the start. 

Me, Husband, Mother-in-law and twin kids, we all were returning from India to Sydney via Malaysia. The long journey was stretched further long with issues at ticket counter, issues with seating arrangements, reboarding required for whole flight in Malaysia due to technical issues, delayed flights, lost baggage, crying bursts on and on the list goes. 

But, after conquering all that, we were out of the Sydney airport, had a nice happy picture of tired passengers taken by two kind friends, who had come to pick us. 

Me in my head was already thanking the god( and the kids) for giving us safe journey ( for not being as difficult as I had thought).

Phew! Was looking forward to reaching home and hitting the bed, before tiny tots start jet lagged tantrums. 

Airport to home, about 35 kms drive, which estimated to 30 to 35 mins at night time.

The two back facing car seats have completely blocked out the backseats in our mid sized car. This caused us to split like myself and the twins in our car while Husband and Mother-in-law in another car. The friends who have came to receive us were driving both the cars.

So we started...around at 10ish at night.

At back of my mind, I knew kids are not used to car seats during the long India visit and will be alone at back, facing backwards!!

But again it’s barely 35 mins, just 35 mins...

After getting out of parking lot, Saanvi madam woke and started crying. There is acbig tunnel out from airport and we couldn’t stop before that ends. We thought bit of air and drive will put her back to sleep. Her cries kept on increasing till we stopped.

Milk, singing, patting and she was back to sleep. Trying to put her back in her seat, woke her again! She ended up waking her brother too, who had managed to sleep through all this. 

Pratham too had his milk. But now both were wide awake and refused to sleep or sit back in car seat. Phew!!!

Ok, so I changed their nappies and we just decided to wait. They will sleep in sometime and Then we will quickly drive back home.

Mean while the other car and Husband had reached home. Worried he was calling to come and assist. But for now there was nothing much to do than wait.

Curb side, in middle of night, in middle of city, around 12 o’clock, we waited...

In mean time, called cabs but they obviously didn’t have an infant seat and definitely not two of them. Couple of cars checked on us and we waived them on. After waiting an hour, kids looked sleepy and my friend thought of keeping the car ready to go by taking U turn. And damn damn damn! 

The battery was down! S***

The car had not run for a month and we had left indicator and inside lights on when we stopped. Draining out what was remaining charge in it. Then we realised the phone batteries are not in the best state too, we quickly sent out current location from google and called Husband.

After road side assit to get car jump started, some more wait for kids to sleep, some more cries and tirade between me and Husband we finally reached home at 6.30 in the morning! 

We hit bed right after and thankfully kids too slept on till morning 11. Giving a much needed respite. Then the day was back as the day is with kids.

Oh man, now do I really understand the meaning of relentless or not? 

Confidence

Just made tea and was pouring using strainer in the cups to serve. Was looking at the utensil, strainer, cup and the flow of tea all at once. Even then the flow was still just incorrect. Tea was going little over the cup edges, outside the cup just making one big mess.

Mom was watching me doing this. After few seconds she said, “what are you doing? Just pour it!”

I looked at her puzzled. ‘What do you mean? That’s what I am TRYING to do.’

She repeated, “Na. Just pour it!”.

Yup. I then JUST poured as she said. Was that perfect? May be not. But far better result! I was not looking at every little thing and trying to get it right. I was pouring without hesitation in one steady flow. I was ‘Just doing it’.

That extremely tiny difference in behaviour is the one they call confidence! Where ‘Try’ has no place. It’s not about ‘Trying’, it’s just about ‘Doing’! 

Is that why the tag line goes ‘Just do it’?

I know what you are saying, ‘but well not everything is as simple a task as pouring tea! Right?’. 

True! But to get to a different result, the super tiny shift in behaviour remains just the same!

Being a Duck

Seen a duck peacefully gliding across a  lake? He looks so calm, composed and effortless. Just few small ripples around the water while he glides.

But, if you ever try to see below the water, will be surprised by the frantic leg paddling.

That's really the essence!

Strength

There are times when you do something, just because there is simply no other option.
And then there are times when you Decide to do something, despite availability of other options.

Strangely, you still get the strength in either scenario. You pull up your socks because you know there is no leaning on anyone. In other case you ply on knowing that someone can come forward to help, but you really want to do your 100% before you would need it, just cause you Chose things to be this way.

I guess the key to the strength is still your Choice. Choice to see a situation positively, as a way to get best out of you.

The Game Changer

You often hear the term 'Game Changer' liberally used  in talks, in news. I never really had a handle over it...Until Now :) Some recent incidents gave a fuller meaning to it for me. 

I wanted to carry a tab from my Mom's place. Her reaction was -I have my WhatsApp on it. As long as it keeps working on some other device, you can take it. 😮

No issue to carry the instrument, WhatsApp is the necessity. 

Ok....

Dad would check WhatsApp daily. 😮

He had never ever bothered with even a mobile phone so far. 

There was a time when I would call saying I have sent a mail, did you check? That will be the time when Mom would login to check... And now I find them at times online on WhatsApp, Replying instantaneously!

The epitome of all this was Grandma asking, if WhatsApp can be installed on her old phone.      

See for us, for our generation email to yahoo messenger, to social platform of Facebook and alike, to need for a smaller more interactive communication group of WhatsApp felt like a very natural progression. 

For our parents generation, they were never too keen to adapt to all this new technology. They adapted few thing like emails grudgingly as necessity. 

But the total switch from this Nay to Yay is done by WhatsApp. Thats a switch from grudging unwilling acceptance to eagerness and willingness. Requirements are simple. One good phone with number and internet. Thats it. But even more than ease of use, unique and quick way of bringing closer who matter the most! Children, grandchildren, siblings - their families. 

Attitude turn around of an entire generation,oh man thats massive! Now, that is really the 'Game Changer' of parents generation. It does not stop there. Once the gates open videos on YouTube, browsing, searching starts becoming common thing. 

Love to see them embracing the changes. Wish I would remain as open minded as they are. 

I know, this post has kind of become like an WhatsApp advt. Though honestly don't think it requires any more marketing. :)