MAN IS A FOOL

As a rule, man is a fool

When it is hot, he wants cool

When it is cool, he wants hot

Always wanting what is not

- Benjamin Disraeli

Innumerable times told to me by my grandfather, this is a perfect poem to begin the new academic session, which co-incidentally begins on 1st April, celebrated as the fool’s day.

Are we not fooling ourselves in chasing what is not there and not content with what is?

You have a child very interested in sports and the parent complaints, “Play alone is not enough; what will happen to studies? Sports don’t yield income to run your household.”

You have a child who only studies, but is very timid and the parent complaints, “Person should be smart, the world will take you for a ride if you are so timid. Only studying will not get you best in life, you need to develop your personality.”

During many workshops we conducted, parents of kindergarteners were asked — what is your future vision for your child. 80% end up writing –

‘I want my child to be happy’, ‘I want her to chase her dreams’, ‘I want him to find his passion.’

But they wait outside PTM lines with constant comparison of their child with her peers and always wanting what the other children are able to do. When pointed to the qualities of their child, they take those qualities for granted and look for what is missing in their child when compared to the peers.

We once asked, keep all the qualities of your child on platter-A and another child’s on platter-B. Would you like to swap? Not a single hand goes up. Instead they feel that they are on a shopping spree and can pick the best of all qualities and turn their unique kid into a replica of a seemingly perfect child. Be grateful to what your children is, accept them as they are and nurture them into what they are meant to be, not what you desire them to become.

Are you going to stand apart and love your child as he is or are you going to abide by this age old saying –

‘As a rule, man is a fool………… Always wanting what is not’. Happy Fool’s day!