I was very proud of my little girl yesterday. Let me correct
that. I am always proud of her because she teaches me life’s lessons in her own
unique way just as Appu teaches me to be far stronger and more patient that I
ever thought I could be. I tell them things that I hope will
stand them in good stead over the years. I do not know how much my son
comprehends but he certainly does get a few of the lessons I have tried to
impart. Mahi listens quite carefully but since she is yet very young, I usually
think she isn’t really taking me seriously.
Yesterday, she came back from school toting two heavy bags
and looking exhausted. She told me her brother had picked her up from the gate
on his bike saving her the effort of carting her bags all the way to the house.
I told her how lucky she was to have a brother who cared so much for her and
she grinned in agreement. Still sprawled on the floor amidst the bags, she
began recounting the highlights of the day as she peeled off various straps and
belts. She had had two football matches in school. One was an inter-house one
while the other was a small match between two sections of the fourth grade.
She wanted to talk about the second match which took place
late afternoon when they were all tired. Her friend Kiara was the captain and
she had the right of first selection. She selected all the best players
including Mahi leaving a few non-players to make up the other team. Mahi
apparently protested pointing out that the teams were not balanced at all and
it was grossly unfair. No one bothered and the match started. Mahi’s team was
winning effortlessly with the opposing team unable to score even one goal. The
opposing team’s captain quit and walked off in disgust by half time. Mahi
quietly stated that she would rather help the other team and walked off to join
them. She managed to score one goal for the team by the time the match ended.
Tired and a little sad, she made her way to the bus and home.
Looking thoughtful and a bit nervous, she came closer to ask
me "Amma, do you think I did the right thing?". I asked her what she thought of
her act. Her face appeared serious as she said “Well, the first team only
wanted to win. I didn’t like the fact that the others did not get a fighting
chance. It was unfair. I did what I thought was right Amma.” “Did you win?” I
asked. “No, I made just the one goal. They had lots.”
“If you know you have done the right thing and actually
stood up for what you believed in, then it took a lot of courage indeed. I am
so proud of you Mahi. I can learn lots from you!”. My little sprite smiled a
huge smile and hugged me tight. She then went off to shower humming happily all
the while as I watched her with a lump in my throat. I knew how much she loved
winning. It must have been hard for the child and yet at such an early age she
knew that standing up for what was just was more important than winning. I felt
truly blessed after hearing her story. Here’s to little Mahi staying true to
herself always!
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