A child is the source of your inspiration..

Most of we Indians are lucky....

Lucky for the simple reason, we have this impeccable network of joint families and innumerable cousins, uncles and aunts, there is an avalanche of people gathering on every occasion within the family.

I am from down South of India. A Tamil by birth. I enjoy those gatherings. I enjoy the re unions we have in our family. My family tree is spread across the country. From South to East to North and West of India and some out side India as well.

In the past two decades or so, there is some one or the other in our family tree is delivering a baby. A sign of the family tree expanding.

We have the eldest second generation of 20 year old and the youngest been 6 weeks old. I train to be a good company for Children. Not because I am a good company, its simply because I enjoy their company. Observant - of their nuances. Little expressions. Their curiosity. Their ability to adapt. Fascinates me quite a lot.

My own Children - so adorable they are. Each day they have a story to share. They have an excitement to express. New learning to try. Never a day for them is tiring. Never it is indeed.

I was - very many years ago once got stuck in a small railway station called Vijayanagaram. Touring to the hilly Southern part of Orissa, Koraput district where government of India put up two big investments - HAL Sunabeda and NALCO Damanjodi - for many its not a fun trip.

For me its always a great experience. You alight in Vijayanagaram to board a share taxi or full paid taxi/buses, depending upon the season you can choose your mode of transport. Several times when I used to travel the hilly terrain in the night, I used to stay awake - with a hope anytime I can get to see the glimpses of wild animals. We often spotted them and famous among them are tigers and early morning returning bears.

That night in Vijayanagaram railway station - there was some un rest in Kolkata due to which - most of the trains running between Howrah to Chennai were disrupted and my train was running late indefinitely.

That's not important. I learnt a valuable lesson that night in that small railway station.

I saw a couple who were a proud parent of a three year old, waiting for their train and were cursing every star on earth for the delay. Every one of us who were waiting were cursing our stars. The bondage which you pick up in railway station with your co passengers is fast and I guess also dis appears fast.

We were tired. Angry. Bored.

But that kid..... was never tired. Never expressed angry. Never cursed the stars. The kid engaged herself with every one around her. Her surrounding didn't bother her. She was all smiling. She was excited. Running around the platform. Singing and dancing. Every now and then there will be a goods career will pass by. She will be excited at the sight of such train and movement. She will close her ears. She will scream with joy. She will keep rattling something or the other only her parents could understand her language. I developed a fondness to that child and become so involved I didn't take my eyes of her.

Not once did I notice her getting tired.

I realised the lesson which I will never forget in my life.

The kid could disengage her self from all woes around her ( even if you don't understand them you can always disengage) and managed to stay brisk for the simple reason - she kept observing every thing happening around her with a sense of curiosity and as a new learning. She kept looking at things as if she is looking at them for the first time.

We grown ups don't do it. We don't let the excitement spread across if something happening around us does not meet our expectations. For us everything is judged. We look at things with prejudice. We think we possess the knowledge to condemn everything - we declare them un worthy because it didn't match with our so called knowledge.

The inspiration from a three year old is something I value even today. I consider a child is the source of your inspiration. Stay excited all the times.... you will find the world is a better place to live.

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