It was a rainy Sunday afternoon
in the month of December. Its monsoon
and the chillness could be felt in the air. Trees swinging to the tunes of the
wind. Lush greenery all around the place. Birds chirping sounded like melodies
to the ears. I was with my family, away from the madding crowd in my native
enjoying every moment of life. The feel was so heavenly and I was soaked in the
bliss of nature.
The ambience was perfect to have
something hot and spicy. So I asked my wife to prepare a piping hot coffee to
be served with hot spicy bajji. As my wife prepared it, my daughter and I went
to the first floor balcony and sat there to have a good view of the village
serenity. My daughter saw a swarm of red ants moving in the railing of our
balcony towards their nest at fact pace. Flash came a question “Dad, how come these ants are red in colour
when the ones we saw at our home are black?” I answered her stating “There are different types of ants and red
ants are one such species”
Our chit chat was disturbed by
the aroma of coffee and flavor of bajjis which signaled the arrival of my wife
to the first floor balcony. I was equally excited like my daughter to have
those especially on a rainy afternoon. As we were immersed in the divine taste
of the hot and spicy bajjis a chill breeze blew through our face from the farm
lands which faced the balcony. The breeze was strong enough which blew the
ants. One of the red ants flew and fell in my daughter’s coffee.
Seeing the sequence of events my
daughter shouted “Oh, oh, an ant in my
coffee”. I replied “No worries baby;
the ant won’t spoil your coffee”. The reply which my daughter gave made me
feel embarrassed. She said:
“Dad,
I’m not worried about the coffee; rather I’m worried about the ant’s life”
Silenced by her answer, I rose
from my chair and with concern written all over my face; I dipped my finger in
her coffee and carefully lifted the ant. Later I left it near its nest, so that
it can feel safe at home. At times, our kids behave in a matured way. It’s we
adults who tame them and make them ordinary individuals.
Later I realized the ant and dove story which is a part of
the nursery lessons which made her feel so. We as adults forget the values which
our education system taught us and try to behave selfish at times. The lesson
which I learned from my daughter that day which strongly etched in my mind was
“Use things and love life; rather to have
things and abuse life”
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