meenu mehrotra

my son has turned 15 and it feels it was only yesterday when he was born. a tiny, fragile ribbon of life whom i was even scared to hold . he is now taller than me and talks as if he could give me a lesson or two on how to be cool.

time has a strange way of coming full circle and making us go back in time. of getting nostalgic about our own teenage years. of how we used insist on proving ourselves right to our parents all the time. of how we thought that life’s problems could be easily solved and wondering why our parents found everything so tough? why they couldn’t chill like us? why were they serious about things we found trivial? why staying out late was such a big issue? why meeting boys raised so many eyebrows?

i understand now being on the other side of the fence.i am a much open parent compared to what my parents were. i can talk about anything under the sun with my son and treat him like an adult, allowing him to make mistakes and not run to save him from every fall. i realise being bruised is part of growing up and that you can only guide your kids but in no way live their lives.

but the most valuable lesson i have learnt is not to grudge my own parents for what they did or how they behaved coz whatever they did was the  best they could do given their understanding and exposure. because no one can really claim to being a perfect parent just as no child can claim to be a perfect child for his parents.

till next time

take care