Chasing my Son

PS: (Pre Script here) :  Before I begin I want to point out that this note, is most similar to the description of this blog.

Last Sunday we had our Diwali family gathering and after lunch at my beloved sister’s place we decided to take the kids to the beach in the evening. Just as we reached there, my son wanted to pee, and so I took him while others were settling in the barely found clearing in the overly crammed full beach. After finishing his job, this mischievous boy ran in the opposite direction, and would not stop despite my warnings. (I was remembering my wife for 2 reasons, one because she could handle him expertly, and two because if she heard this story I won’t hear the end of the lecture she would start.)

So I started chasing him, I had to brisk walk, which made me realize he has started running faster. On his way he was looking at the sand-work of others and would halt for collecting sticks and bottle caps. When his hands got full he would leave behind one and pick up another. I was just observing him from 5-6 steps away, it was twilight and the crowd was heaving so I guess he did not see me. He took his first significant halt at the point we had entered the beach from. Looked around, called my name, gave a “on the verge of crying” expression for just a second and then started running ahead straight continuing his business of picking up and putting down sticks and bottle caps. He took another two halts calling my name giving the same expression and then back to work.

We were about a couple of hundred meters away from where the family had gathered. And I decided I should not wait for him to cry (as that is what I was waiting for him to do). So I simply went and stood before him. He was busy digging with his stick. He looked up, gave a smile and went back to digging, like I was just beside him all along. I told him a little strictly, “Why did you run away like this? I got so worried about you. What if I couldn’t find you?” to which he innocently replied, “Why didn’t you just catch me?” Somehow that moistened my eyes. I quietly apologised to him, and we walked back. And he got playing.

This entire episode gave me a feast to think. So I am gonna try to list my realizations of the evening.

• 1.   The entire episode itself was such an unpredicted event (obviously) isn’t that how our life is, it teaches you anything at anytime.

• 2.   KK running away leaving my security, felt like ourselves leaving Krishna and running in our own worlds.

• 3.   He picking up and putting down the sticks and bottle caps was more like our attachments and interests that we pick up and put down from time to time. Or even our relationships, or people.

• 4.   And then from time to time we remember our eternal father, we put on the “on the verge of crying” or even crying expression for a while, and then get distracted with new engagements.

• 5.   And he was so detached and ignorant for most of the time. Like us, we hardly stop to think at times that Krishna is  watching us, what we are doing, and he is just there a few steps away, ready to protect us, save us and be there for us, just that the need should be enough and beyond our capability. He never takes his attention off us. That is so comforting.

• 6.   Then my ego also wanted to put the blame on him and ask, “Krishna why didn’t you catch me before, and why did you let me come so far?” but immediately, something in me answered, “just like you were observing, waiting for your son to call intensely.” And then I thought, didn’t he just spring up before us, through the teachings of our acharyas, and yet most of us were not jubilant enough to see him, we simply acknowledged him and got back to work. And blamed him for not catching us. Yet there came a faith, if we continue to walk on this path set by the acharyas, someday he will just lift us up and take us back to the party.

Pheww.. I want my teachers to read this note and know, I am capable of writing systematic essays. :p

#mined by Nataraja Gauranga Das.