child

i was invited to cher-cher’s ballet practice yesterday to review her work for the whole year. as with all young children, she was very excited and has reminded me over and over again that morning to attend and be punctual. it is quite sobering to have your daughter nag you about the importance of being on time.

so, i made an extra effort on monday morning to be there exactly on the dot, if not slightly earlier. it has never crossed my mind that my action may have any bearing on other 7-years-old. however, my presence triggered off something akin to hysteria in the ballet studio. eeeek!

the little kiddies started whining upon seeing that i am the first and only mother to turn up. yikes! five minutes down the line and a whole row of empty chairs, they degenerated to tears and uncooperativeness. looking left and right nervously, i didn’t quite know where to hide my face or my entire body for that matter. my good gesture to my daughter has caused other children to face their insecurities, making me feel like public enemy no. 1. pretty soon, i can imagine some of them giving me dagger-stares and boycotting my daughter. overactive imagination aside, mothers started rolling in 15minutes after the appointed time. phew! if only mothers knew the heartache they are capable of causing their children, i wish they had made more of an effort to be there at the appropriate time. i guess that is the problem with malaysians; bad time management. they will be late even for their own funeral!

having a kid is quite a blessing. all through life, there will always be people who want to change you. from what you are to what they like you to be. starting from homebase with your parents, who are forever nagging you to pick up your things, behave properly, eat the correct food and a whole other mountainload of requests - to be the best that you can be. your friends also wish you were more. more open, more giving, more time to spend with them, more fashionable. employers will like you to be more efficient, to contribute more to the money-making process and to be more punctual. your partner will be the worst. in the initial stage, they will want to erase all your bad habits and change you totally into someone else. everywhere, everyone. they have some requests of their own, trying to influence you to be more like what they want you to be.

only in a child's eye will you be perfect. beautiful despite the many imperfections on your physical attributes. melodious regardless of the fact that you are tone-deaf. wonderful eventhough you have lost your temper with them a few minutes ago.

it is humbling to receive so much love from someone else. love for you exactly as you are.

i read a quote somewhere: when a child realises that his parents are imperfect; he becomes an adolescent. when he forgives them for it, he becomes an adult.