Giving birth to a child is one of the most memorable moments for all parents and why not, they actually give 'life' to a soul. I am sure it is by far one of the most magical experience for any parent. No matter how difficult the journey and cumbersome the wait is to the parents, it surely is something they cherish and hold close to their hearts for life. The cute and innocent bundle of joy with those tiny little pink fingers- delicate like the leaves of the pine tree, the crinkly closed eyes - tiny yet pure, waiting to open up and explore the world, the first burst of laughter with a twinkle in the eyes, the first lazy yawn to announce the commencement of the holy "sleep" hour, the I-am-going-to-scream-face, when not given milk on time, and the beautiful toothless smile with an innocent dimple on the cheeks as angelic as can be.
Years pass and memories fade and as your child grows up things don't remain the same. However, no matter how old the kids get, they still need support and love from their parents and that remains an eternal fact.
As I see it, good parenting skills are by far the toughest skills to develop. Though, the 'happily married skill' is also a tough contender but nowhere close to the former. The secret to good parenting lies in developing an everlasting bond of unconditional (usually unidirectional : parent to the child) and everlasting love. Love that protects, cares and nurtures. This love that knows no boundaries and entails a lot of sacrifice with no expectations of a return favor. It certainly isn't easy to be a good parent.
The roles of both the parents are very different. It is almost like they are playing good cop bad cop with you during your childhood. While one pampers you, the other one ensures that you don't get spoilt. While one ensures that you see a friend in them who is going to side with you no matter how wrong you are, the other ensures that they are a strict teacher to you, who never lets you get your way. Their role play is almost seamless and complimentary. As years fly by and you enter your adolescence, both parents shift their roles from the teachers to the mentors. There is a subtle difference between the two. Teachers hold you by the hand and teach you things. Mentors just offer advice, when you seek it from them. It is during this time that parents want you to start being independent decision makers. It is a difficult phase for both the parents and the kids. Kids are trying to discover their own selves and their potential while parents are struggling to give up control. It is almost similar to the kite flying experience. When you want your kite to soar high in the sky, you need to let the string loose. You hold the string just loosely enough so that you don't let it go out of sight.
While with time the kids are on the flight of their dreams and ambitions through the lifts and drags of life, parents seldom make them realize how much they miss spending time with them. This is the truth about parenting. Parents unconditionally give the best moments of their lives for a lifetime of memories with their kids. It is a thankless job but it is one which they truly love. They don't want to be acknowledged by their kids for what they did for them, but if they are, nothing would make them happier. In the end, I guess it is all worth the effort.
Let me end by a simple qualifier to my conversation on this blog - I am not a parent but I was brought up by two lovely souls and I wrote this blog from solely that experience.
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