Happiness

I received two invitations yesterday to attend the award ceremony from my children’s high school. Both Yaya and Toothless have won the award for their respective grade.

It felt so good to open the invitation and to see my children’s name. This will be the last year the two of them would be receiving the award in the same venue, as my son is going to another school next year.

Obviously the first reaction for some of parents would be that I am a pushy mother and that is why my children get all the honours.

Am I a pushy mother?

Yes, I am.

I pushed beyond all obstacles to give my children my time. When every child was attending early learning activities, I stayed home with my children and we painted, read stories and played hide and seek. I pushed for a TV free childhood.

I pushed them to believe in themselves and taught them it is ok to fail and to learn from their mistakes. I taught them “no matter how many mistakes you make or how slow your progress is, you are still way ahead of everyone who isn’t trying”

I pushed them to believe that sky is the limit and the world is theirs to conquer.

I pushed them to believe that even if each of them are only one person, they still can change the world to make it a better place to live and that change starts with them.

I pushed them to remember always that there will always be someone more smarter than them and just as there will always be someone not as smart as them. I taught them not to  be judgemental.

Most importantly I pushed them to work hard, set their goals high and enjoy the challenges.. and that the journey of life is nothing but Zeno’s paradox.. each time you think you conquered something, you will learn that there are more to conquer..

I don’t have time to write about Zeno’s paradox. so I am copying what someone had already written. (http://platonicrealms.com/encyclopedia/Zenos-Paradox-of-the-Tortoise-and-Achilles)

The Tortoise challenged Achilles to a race, claiming that he would win as long as Achilles gave him a small head start. Achilles laughed at this, for of course he was a mighty warrior and swift of foot, whereas the Tortoise was heavy and slow.

“How big a head start do you need?” he asked the Tortoise with a smile.

“Ten meters,” the latter replied.

Achilles laughed louder than ever. “You will surely lose, my friend, in that case,” he told the Tortoise, “but let us race, if you wish it.”

“On the contrary,” said the Tortoise, “I will win, and I can prove it to you by a simple argument.”

“Go on then,” Achilles replied, with less confidence than he felt before. He knew he was the superior athlete, but he also knew the Tortoise had the sharper wits, and he had lost many a bewildering argument with him before this.

“Suppose,” began the Tortoise, “that you give me a 10-meter head start. Would you say that you could cover that 10 meters between us very quickly?”

“Very quickly,” Achilles affirmed.

“And in that time, how far should I have gone, do you think?”

“Perhaps a meter—no more,” said Achilles after a moment’s thought.

“Very well,” replied the Tortoise, “so now there is a meter between us. And you would catch up that distance very quickly?”

“Very quickly indeed!”

“And yet, in that time I shall have gone a little way farther, so that now you must catch that distance up, yes?”

“Ye-es,” said Achilles slowly.

“And while you are doing so, I shall have gone a little way farther, so that you must then catch up the new distance,” the Tortoise continued smoothly.

Achilles said nothing.

“And so you see, in each moment you must be catching up the distance between us, and yet I—at the same time—will be adding a new distance, however small, for you to catch up again.”

“Indeed, it must be so,” said Achilles wearily.

“And so you can never catch up,” the Tortoise concluded sympathetically.

“You are right, as always,” said Achilles sadly—and conceded the race.

 

 

10 thoughts on “Happiness

  1. Congratulations to both Yaya and Toothless!!

    Yes working hard is something that needs to be achieved indeed, and part of success is failure. I like the way you teach your kids-not be judgemental and that failure is part of life. I believe in that, but no one else in my family( except a very few) does. Because I just went through something similar and am fighting currently, but it’s very discouraging when you are judged wrongly and then gossip spreads. It’s like to them, failure is not acceptable and then they judge you and consider you less, even in minor things like your physical appearance, interests and if you are like the crowd and fit into the expectations required of you to fill because it’s what “society does”. I am always pressured to be like that as well rather than being my own person, and if I don’t fit the mold, I’ll be looked down upon (guess it’s Indian standards) Mistakes are always going to be part of life, but the benefit of it is you learn from it and learn how to deal with it and go forward. Sadly I don’t think many people believe in that and are pressured so they don’t feel singled out (peer pressure is an example). And when something happens, whether or a crisis or anything, they can’t handle it. Your kids are definitely blessed to have a mom like you. You taught them well.

  2. The fruits dont show up the day you plant the seed, it takes lot of watering, weeding, and nurturing 🙂

    Enjoy and cherish the fruits from the strong roots that you have helped to establish.

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