A week before you turned 4 I received a report card from your teacher who said you need more practice holding a pencil and writing numerals and alphabets… not that you don’t know how to trace them but you need help if you have to write your them on your own.. she told me you are moody and would do your homework and class work pencil writing only when asked to. Otherwise you are a good boy and your wide smile is precious to the class. You are shy but once a friend you share your sunshine with them. But you need to know how to write alphabets on your own, you will be asked to write 3 letter words K-1 onwards you see. you paint and color very well, you can write too but…

making animals with wings in sand.

I understand the pressure upon writing with pencil and the fact that alphabets need to be written to prove you are a smart student, those who came to know about your remarks asked me to buy you books that help tracing with pencil practice better and asking me to enroll you to a tuition class to start writing. The remarks from less important people were harsh and sounded like personal space invading threats but … dear son, you must know that none of the above affects me when I think about you as a growing person.
I have seen you grow like a man in the last one year and I am super proud of what you are becoming.
I have seen you empathize for strangers, I have seen you helping your classmates, I have seen you show respect to shopkeepers, vendors and maids. I have seen you sharing what is yours with your closest ones. I have seen you sacrifice on your most favorites for your friends.

a dream you are cultivating

I have seen you wear your clothes and remove the soiled ones, putting them carefully in the machine all on your own. I have seen you eat your food and making sure you have no leftovers, I have seen you denying a third or at times a second helping too just because you are aware you don’t want to waste food because a many of them won’t get dinner before bed.

my fave pic of my men together

I have seen you motivated to learn to ride a cycle and ride it in a few hours on your own. I have seen you walking 6kms up the mountain without throwing a tantrum. I have seen you ride a horse for the first time and that too for 20 kms without being scared. You trusted us when papa n I said we won’t let you fall down. I have seen you be a sport when I asked you to jump in the pool with me with cold water in 13degrees outside. I have seen you ride a sledge in snow like you will meet santa on the other end. I have seen you give me a helping hand when I was scared of jumping on a shikara that was shaking. I have seen you adjust on a night jungle safari at -2degrees. I have seen you walk gracefully to pat a wild bear untamed, unchained and feed her jaggery.

my brave one

I see you grow everyday the way you will face the world, and whether you ace at writing 3 letter words with pencil or not, baby you have already made me proud of who you are and who you choose to be while you are growing up. You are our shadow and yet you are on your own a soul so different from us. Dear son, as you turn 4 I am happy you choose to call me mom and PG your dad. D, we could not have asked god to bless us with a purer soul than yours. Thank you for making sure there are exactly 1460(4 years) memories that make me proud of you rather than just 26 alphabets that prove you are a good student.

happy birthday little man

Happy 4th birthday dear son.