Love is a very beautiful word with a beautiful meaning, isn’t it?
Whether the love is for your beloved, your parents, siblings, friends, animals, your children and so many more they differ in the sense the expression of each type of love can differ.
I remember when my daughter long back went for her science camp for 3 days and as usual I told her to enjoy this time. But she says I cried when she came back…! Well, even today she teases me for that and I make joke out of it that actually I cried because you came back!!!
“The moment we cry in a film is not when things are sad but when they turn out to be more beautiful than we expected them to be” ~ Alain de Botton
All that is fun and now after many years my son went for his science camp for 3 days. I have not let him go alone anywhere until this time. We never encouraged sleepover for our kids as parents. It’s not that we don’t understand that or know that kids enjoy but thinking of other issues we always avoided. Kids have done sleepover with friends where we as parents are also present there.
Hence, when my son was going for his science camp I had all the typical motherly worries, will he be able to find things out there, will he be able to manage himself etc..! But then I said well he has to manage no matter what because I can’t go and help so why worry and get stressed!
“In order to move on, you must understand why you felt what you did and why you no longer need to feel it” ~ Mitch Albom
Though at home everyone missed him, we as parents and his sister but it was only our dog Reyna who actually expressed it by holding on to his clothes and sleeping on them.
He had left on Tuesday and today he came back. Me and my husband were waiting for the time and also the school notification about their arrival so we can go and pick him up.
The wait was done after couple of my meetings and then when I got the text message from my son’s school, we both went to receive him.
I was really not sure how my reaction would be because I was normal and eager to see him and hear all his stories. The moment I saw my son’s face in the middle of his other schoolmates, tears filled in… is this love? The moment he came to me and I hugged him I started crying more.
When they are far you miss them because you love them but when they are with you then? Then also it’s an expression of love through tears conveying that, I missed you!
“There is nothing as powerful as mother’s love, and nothing as healing as a child’s soul”
~ Dawn
This afternoon for some reason instead of taking Uber I decided to take Bart.
When you are not used to public transport for long time, it can freak you out. I was making sure I am getting into the right train and then when I did get into one, I made sure I am sitting at a seat which is near the door and was constantly looking at the window to check which station it is.
“Time goes faster the more hollow it is. Lives with no meaning go straight past you, like trains that don’t stop at your station.” ~ Carlos Ruiz Zafon
I had been a heavy user of public transport when I was in Toronto, Canada and to tell you the truth I enjoyed it even though the initial radar of alertness was always there about your surroundings but that I don’t look at as inexperience. I rather feel one should be cautious about their surroundings always.
“You can’t understand a city without using its public transportation system.” ~ Erol Ozan
Bart, I always have heard negative things whether it’s about the issues with the riders or with the train itself. All these thoughts were going through my mind but being positive as my habit I enjoyed the ride. Few people were getting off as their destination arrived and the train was getting empty or rather it was getting more spacious.
I saw three kids – I can say because there was a boy who could be of 4- 5 years old and he was being referred as Chris. Chris was getting bored and restless and one can see that because the other two people (boy and a girl) who looked as if they are a couple but very young may be around 18-19 years old and I don’t know their names. Chris was so restless that he started lying down on the seat and later on the floor of the train and I wondered why he is doing like that and how come the couple doesn’t say anything to him.
As I was thinking about it, the girl started calling him, Chris, get up why are you being like this? And the boy had no response.
After long time Chris got up and sat on the seat and I was in between busy looking at the name of the station as the train stopped.
“The easiest way to meet people is to just look like someone who is willing to listen” ~ Robert Brault
The girl who was sitting with her boyfriend, looking at me she said, Ma’am are you a therapist by any chance?
I looked at her and smiled and said, ‘Why? You need help for Chris?
She smiled back at me as if nodding yes!
I looked at Chris who was turning his back to me and looking at his mother (by now I heard the conversation where she said you are not listening to your mom).
In a friendly way, I said – Chris, want to be my friend? Give me hi-five!
The mother or the girl as I referred above, said Chris see the lady wants to be your friend. At this, Chris got shy and he started hiding his face.
By that time the boy who was sitting next to Chris’s mother said, why you taking help from strangers?
The girl/mother replied, well you’re not helping me either, so I asked for help at least it will keep him away from misbehaving.
It just took me to think, teenage lovers and probably became mother and all these responsibilities. I felt bad for Chris, because he needed someone who can understand him and probably spend time with him.
“Sometimes the greatest adventure is simply a conversation.” ~ Amadeus Wolfe
I wish I could do something, but I cannot. As the train stopped at my destination, I got up from my seat and waved at Chris, saying Bye Chris, take care.
The mother/girl, immediately asked Chris to say – bye! He was still shy and instead the mother said – Bye lady and you have a great day and thank you!
I smiled back waving at her saying you too!
I reached home and shared the story with my daughter because she is 19 years old and I shared how I felt for that girl and her child.
Sometimes, kids are not kids anymore and those who are kids they don’t get to be kids anymore!!! ~ Dawn
~ Dawn
It’s a shame on us!!! We enjoyed our childhood and didn’t make sure that it continues the same or better for our next and many future generations to enjoy that childhood in peace. I have marched for many such protests in this country and each time it was for an equality cause. Sometimes it was due to the inequality, for LGBTQA, for Women and now for Children – it breaks my heart. I was marching along and on and off my eyes fill with tears because whenever I think or see a child I go back to my days and its such a pleasure to be there that I have often said to myself – “wish I could go back and pause that moment”.
“Peace cannot be kept by force, it can only be achieved by understanding.” ~ Martin Luther King Jr.
“An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind”
People take anger and courage as one, people were marching against gun laws and the anger is towards the current administration but I don’t think one can solve anything with anger.
It was amazing how the crowd out there was all about peace and for the children when two students came to me and said can we ask a question and I said sure!
“Do you think there should be cops in schools for protection”?, my answer straight came from my heart as ‘No’!
Because school should not need protection. Schools need more facility and support for education. You need more teachers, students, principal and books. There is no need of guns, a protection as long as teachers are doing their job of teaching and protecting the kids. I went to a school in India and my school don’t have a cop, military or even a gun. The students completely agreed with my opinion as they also felt there is no need of another armed personnel in the school.
I strongly believe, to bring real peace we need to love our enemies. It is tough but we have to be realistic and think about it before its too late. Love your enemy because hatred is only going to bring hatred, anger and revenge then. Let’s not call anyone names, lets be human and ask for peace! March only for PEACE!
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
~ Dawn
“A desire to help others and give to the world before saying adios to this place, it was that desire as a seed, seeded inside me and Good Gigs let that seed sprout out.
What is born needs to be nourished well for it to grow and spread the good health across and hence Children were always special to my heart.
By helping and supporting the education for children will layout the foundation that will let these children to grow and flourish and spread the goodness across and this will multiply, so at Delta Utah my focus was children throughout and hence the planning to make sure the training we give to the teacher initiators and teachers are easy enough to adapt and in return the teacher’s roll this out to kids in an easier manner.
“Every child you encounter is a divine appointment” ~ Wess Stafford
In doing this, the preparation brought the best of the minds together to brainstorm and the outcome was incredible.
It was not easy to be frank. When we prepared our training deck, it was easy to believe that we captured every detail to show how the tool works. The challenge was how to deliver this simple deck to the teacher initiators who are actually well educated with full of awareness. Teaching a teacher is a challenge and believe me or not it needs lot of preparation, guts and confidence to hold their hands and walk along with them.
Good thing to be part of technology industry where it allows you to play with the tool and learn the hard way. To get to the level of each teacher initiator based on their understanding of the technology and then take that ride to a standard level was a worth learning experience for me personally, as it helped me to learn from the teachers and the details of the tools as well.
How to teach without intimidating and be part of the learner group to discover and explore the findings.
The teacher initiators and teachers loved each and every small thing that they learned about technology be it a copy/paste or right click and select. It taught me how simple things can bring happiness to you it doesn’t have to be expensive that costs money.
“Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated”~ Confucius
Though VMware and Dell and other institutions took that expense to support this cause and the result was happiness, full of confidence, achievement and looking forward with technology in mind as a goal. It was an emotional ride for everyone be it the Millard School District High-School members, teacher initiators and teachers, people of Delta Utah or even the students of Millard School District schools – it is an emotional bonding that lead us to win everyone’s heart, it’s the people!
The personal touch with each training helped me to connect with each individual of Delta Utah that we associated with. Be it CoSN, SEDC, Millard District Office members, teacher initiators… the parting was painful yet the emails and connections through messages is keeping this bondage going with the hope to support each other going forward.
The motivation, giving confidence to make that first mistake and letting them to correct themselves with support, perseverance, and letting others to grow is the key to be a leader.
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you’re a leader.” ~ John Quincy Adams
While doing all this, there was not a single thought of what I am getting out of this because all my actions and thoughts were triggered towards to give the best to them to make a success for their day to day life. In doing so I learnt a lot from others about the approach, individual thought process, perceptions, emotions and vulnerability, those hugs and caring moments all adds up to climb the tallest mountain in the world. To let others to flourish with your support is the key I learnt in my leadership role.
There is no race, there is no game, because we all are in this game and have to make the team be comfortable. It doesn’t matter who made the goal in the goal-post as long as we have made efforts to make that goal to win the game. ☺
This Good Gig has given me an opening to the world which I was thinking to enter after my retirement but I guess I don’t have to wait that long if I have to do a good gig I can do it anytime. The journey continues for me… and I am happy if you want to hop along with me ☺
“Never get tired of doing little things for others sometimes those little things occupy the biggest part of their hearts”
~ Dawn
This weekend was full of events, as you can judge from my last post…it was a weekend of birthdays!! Besides my mom there was another angel who turned one year and so one of our friends who’s age… I don’t think we need to know .. lol!!!
Yes and I want to wish my friend Manish ‘Happy Birthday’ and to all others ‘Happy Sankrant’, I know this day is known in different parts of state differently in India.
Please accept my best wishes to all!!!
“May you have love that never ends, lots of money and lots of friends. Health be yours, whatever you do and may God send many blessings to you.”
In all these celebrations I also happened to watch Aamir Khan’s movie ‘Taare Zameen Pe’!!! (Stars on the earth)
Yes as you all know it was a very controversial year that passed for Aamir and then this movie as well but overall I loved the movie…I liked every aspect that Aamir is trying to bring in to the competition world and I would say specially the Indian community who just load their kids with pressure just to maintain their prestige.
When I saw this movie – I found that it touched every age of the audience, every child and every parent was emotional! There was lot of learning and education that was left in the minds of people and I think one should take it with a pinch of salt – a positive outlook!
As philosophical we say theory is possible but not in practical but then if we keep thinking like this and not take that first stab then I don’t think anyone can change this world of cruelty! Yes I will agree with Aamir where he says this is worst than Child Labor!!!!
“Aim for the stars and maybe you’ll reach the sky”
I came to work and with my couple of friends we were discussing and according to them they don’t agree what Aamir is trying to portray as they say no one wants their kid to be dumb and want to be the best and should be scoring highest as that’s the trend and that’s what is expected in the society or else you are not well respected! If one gets 94% and another gets 98% then 98 scored person and his/her parents display that with pride.
“To be a star, you must shine your own light, follow your own path, and don’t worry about the darkness, for that is when the stars shine brightest”
I am not sure I was ever exposed to such society or may be my parents never put that pressure and they never took us to such a social aspect where really they were breeding horses that can run fast and win every race :)!
But they say that is the world and I can see in US itself some of the Indian community has created this pressure and you will see the schools called Challengers and what not…!!
Come on! What are we giving to our kids….a place where they have to loose their childhood before even they get into it and as they are born parents decide what their kids are going to be and how much they have to score and which school they need to attend??? Boy I would abandon such parents as all I can get from them is pressure and pressure and only scolding or ‘chakde’ to score more :O
“Don’t try to fix the students; fix ourselves first. The good teacher makes the poor student good, and the good student superior. When our students fail, we as teachers, too, have failed.” ~ Marva Collins
Some how I still agree with what Aamir has tried send the message across…not stretch the finger so much that it breaks….let your child’s talent come out in such a way that it can become his career and bread earning factor!!!!
“Education is a companion which no future can depress, no crime can destroy, no enemy can alienate it and no nepotism can enslave.” ~ Ropo Oguntimehin
I agree every child is special but also every child has a right to grow happily and peacefully with a bit of patience and lots of love
Taare Zameen Pe – indeed we are stars of our parents and we are on earth let’s give them an opportunity to shine here rather than in the sky!!!
“We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today.” ~Stacia Tauscher
