One evening as usual I walk in from work. The youngest is glued to the plasma screen and the elder one is busy on the iPhone. “Do you not want to go out and play?” I ask, “It’s such a lovely evening.” “Ok mom let’s go”, shout the kids. “What let ‘us’? I am tired, stressed and need a break… let me change and have a cuppa… you boys go…I command!” “Oh mom!” they complain and slump back to their gadgets.
I am exhausted and fed up. The kids are stuck to smartphones and other gadgets all summer, apart from the few hours I send them to those expensive summer camps and classes. With both parents holding busy jobs, summer holidays become a nightmare for the whole family except for the few days of a trip we always make to some exotic locale. We come back with great family vacation snaps we can show off on Facebook, with bodies tired out more, to catch up on more work piled up.
The Magic Potion
Sujatha steps out of the shower and sips her CUPPA. It feels good, but a dull headache is beginning to develop. It’s now time to consider dinner and chores. Even with fulltime help, there is always pending work both at home and at work. When will all this change? When will I have time to hang out with my kids, go out and play with them or fool around with them at home? Never, says her mind… NOW says her heart.
For a moment she lets her heart rule her mind and steps out, picks up a badminton racket and shouts, “Who is in for a game?” “Meee,” shout both boys and race for the other rackets. They head out onto the porch and start playing. Suddenly she feels fresh…the headache disappears with the tensions, and all she cares about is scoring the next point as she and her younger son show her eldest they are good too. They play on and soon daddy’s car arrives. “What is all this?” he asks, confused.
“Come join me dad, mom and bro are singling me out”, says the eldest. “Is that so? Let’s see them do that now”, says dad. “Give me two minutes” he says and is back after having changed into tracks. The games gathers heat… the teams change… parents versus kids… We win a point and give each other a hug… it feels nice… why did we stopping giving hugs to each other I wonder….and miss the shot…
The game is at championship point, I hit the winning shot and my hubby lifts me up and swirls me around in celebration and as he puts me down panting, some sparks fly… He gives a smile and whispers, “let’s take that up in the night shall we?”
I look at the time, it’s only been 45 minutes in all and my whole world is transformed… there is such a refreshed feeling in the body and soul. All evening we are laughing more, talking to each other. Hubby has not opened his laptop, children have not put on the TV. After showering, we are all gathered around the table eating some fruit and engaging in light banter… I ask, “What do we do for dinner?” The boys suggest “Let’s cook together”…we take stock of the pantry and decide the menu and start cooking. When was the last time hubby helped around the kitchen I try to recollect as I see him and the boys taking charge of the kitchen. Anyways… we had a lovely dinner that everyone was so proud of and then after months, the whole family huddled together in spontaneous prayer and thanksgiving.
In the bedroom the magic from the game continues… we feel like two young lovebirds again instead of two tired bodies weighed down being the presidents of two companies and parents of two energy balls.
I lie content in the cool of the night and wonder…how did this magical evening come about? Was it the magical CUPPA I had? Is it just taking the racket and stepping out instead of taking my phone and closing in? The whole evening I had not taken my phone and responded to messages from work and friends.
So I figure…all those evenings when I had been busy behind my phone I only ended up with tiredness, stress, fights with my family and alienated myself from them. Today I feel connected with myself and them.
Reconnecting with my family is about disconnecting with technology and reconnecting with sports, conversations, food and love…spending my time doing things I love with people I love. I have found the magic potion and I am ready to drink it everyday… Are you?
Leave a Comment