Monday, January 01, 2007

Happy New Year!!

Let me begin with my good wishes for a very happy year ahead. May this New Year bring sunshine in your lives.

Another year has gone by and I feel inclined to reflect on what a New Year means to us. Is it just another new calendar or could we strive to make it eventful? I went for a small get together last night and we had people reciting poems in Urdu and Hindi. One such recital was about there being no difference between the year that has gone by and the one that is being ushered in and the reference given was that of the rising cost of essential commodities. It was delivered in an apparently light vein. ‘Bitter truth delivered as sugar coated pills’ I thought to myself. I then made a quick list of what an ordinary person like me could do to make this New Year different. I cannot stop the price of potatoes from sky rocketing nor can I stop people from buying gold at ‘any cost’ but-

1) I can do my bit to sensitize society on the issue of female foeticide and infanticide. This is a problem that needs to be addressed immediately and I am going to do my bit by talking to my students, and, their parents if need be, to create awareness about the gravity of the problem.
2) I am going to ponder deeply on the emotional health of our school going kids and see if something can be done to give back to them, their childhood, which seems to be slipping away from their lives. This I plan to do by educating my students who will be dealing with families of their own in the near future. I feel it is the inferiority complex among the parents of today that makes them push their wards too far. I want my students to be proud and confident about their own capabilities. Only then can they have faith in their children and let them grow at their own pace.

The founder of our college Dr. N. K. Singh was accorded a grand felicitation by the Senior Citizen’s Council for Excellence and the views expressed by some of the speakers based on their experience and observations merit consideration. One such advice given to parents by Dr. N.K. Singh is –


You give the children your love, but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You house their body, but not their soul,
For their soul dwells in the house of tomorrow,
Where you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you,
For life goes neither backwards, nor tarries with yesterday.

I have almost fulfilled my duty as a parent and cannot rectify or undo any error in parenting that I may have unknowingly committed. But I do have a few more years as a teacher. I have decided to devote the remaining years of my teaching career to learn to let children explore and innovate instead of imposing myself on them by way of ‘teaching’. Who knows what I may end up learning from them!

For a New Year message this has been a serious piece of writing and that too from a person like me who is known to make light of everything. I’ve been listening to a lot of intellectual stuff recently and feel that the social problems that haunt us need to be addressed as best as they can. Let us all join hands and do our bit in the year 2007.


HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

15 comments:

passerby55 said...

Who knows what I may end up learning from them!...

wonderful thoughts , beautiful way of thinking ahead... Living life to its fullest....

Happy 2007, you inspired me

Anonymous said...

Lovely post gmom :) Thats some wonderful thinking!!! Happy new year to you too :)

Alapana said...

Its easy to do our bit of work for the world we live in,we dont need to be a social activist or rich to do our part,there are lot of things which by doing we can make a difference to the society and lets join hands together for such deeds.Wish you a happy new year.

Usha said...

Wish you all the best in your plans- you are lucky to be in a position to actually do something about these.
That quote is from Khalil Gibran's Prophet - the chapter "on children" -Something every parent should internalise!
Have a great year ahead.

Shari said...

Thank you. How true is Dr. N.K. Singh's quote.

I always worry about my parenting skills. Am I too hard on them? Too lenient? Is it enough?

Happy New Year.

Itchingtowrite said...

beautiful thought. made me sit up and think- have i done enough as yet? what can i do to make a difference. am i the one who simply drift along the tide or swim to where i want to go!

Artnavy said...

You also have a few students online
So keep up the inspiring posts and with more regularity

BTW think the quote is adapted from Khalil Gibran's Prophet- check out the link for more

http://www.raysherman.net/K.G.html

And yes a very Happy 2007

The Inquisitive Akka said...

Here's wishing you a very very happy new year!

Monika said...

that was a very inspiring new year wish... all the best for your plans and i hope that i am able to do my bit :)

happy new year

Something to Say said...

what a wonderful idea for the new year - do what is in your means to make this world a better place. beautiful!

Gomathi Sarma said...

This is a lovely post. you write really well. Wish you a very happy and healthy new year. Continue to post more blogs with your encouraging words.

Hip Grandma said...

passerby:Thanks a million.Life is short so we have to do our bit as soon as we can.

coffee:Those were kind words.Thanks and wish you thesame.

alapana:you like me deal with youngsters each day of your working life.Go ahead I am sure you'll do a great job.

usha:Thanks for the reference.I'll go thro' the chapter.We do get to learn something each day of our life,don't we?

shari:There can be no single rule applicable to all at all times.That is what makes life interesting.Follow the voice within you,all will be fine.

ITW:The day we start wondering about what we can do for others around us is also the day we have moved one step ahead.Go on to do what you can I AM WITH YOU.

artnavy:Thanks for the reference.I'll check it.

IQA:thanx and wish you the same.

Monika:I hope I am able to do something for our society,however insignificant it may seem.Happy New year to you too.

something to say:We should all do our bit.happy New Year!

Gomathi:Thanks and wish you the same.

hillgrandmom said...

happy New Year hipgrandma! What a lovely new year resolution. I couldn't agree with you more about kids growing up today.
btw, the quote is from Kahlil Gibran's 'Prophet' the bit on children. There's more to it and it's lovely. It was what I tried to keep in mind when my kids were growing up.

Hip Grandma said...

hillgmom:Thanks for the reference.I'll try to get hold of the bookProblem is that even college girls these days are not receptive to what a person like me says.I keep trying and that's all i can do.

All Smiles!! said...

Lovely post Gmom, very inspiring thought. A very happy new year to you and yours. Hope you have a wonderful year ahead.