Oh, child!

A chance viewing of the National Award winning film Kutram Katidhal (Tamil) left "chinnanchiru kiliye" playing in my mind for the last whole week. It was one of Mahakavi Subramania Bharathi's most famous and moving pieces, talking about (his/someone/a mother's) love for a child. The song tugs at anyone's heart, talking about how the singer perceives the child's innocence, playfulness, achievements and small troubles.

/Odi varugaiyilE kaNNammA uLLam kuLirudaDi

Adit-tiridal kaNDAl unnaip-pOi Avi tazhuvudaDI/

When you come running towards me, my heart chills

When I see you dancing with merriness, my soul hugs you

Really, the song will force anyone to look at a child as the harbinger of love, optimism and happiness.

Except that most of us don't recognize that child anymore. In our daily strife, we take blow upon blow, and grow up to be mean, selfish, egoistic, pessimistic and cunning humans. Not all of us, not all of it and not all the time, but you do get the point. Just look at the world around you.  If possible try counting the number of people in your daily meetings and interactions who, you think, genuinely remain enthused about life.  Who are child-like, not childish, in their dealings with the world.

What happened to that optimistic, innocent, non-judgemental, non-selfish, curious, accepting and dreamer child in all of us? Seriously, what all has made us change into the beings that we are today? This is not a sympathetic post trying to rake in all that nostalgia, but a seriously contemplation on the characters we are, as we stand today. Ready to judge, misuse privilege, draw boundaries, corrupt our daily acts with false values and low motives. How did we grow into human beings that are ready to kill and actually do?!

/un kaNNil nIr vazhindAl ennenjil udiram koTTudaDi/

If I even see small droplets of tears in your eyes, a whole river of blood flows in my heart

What happened to these children that their mothers nurtured? What happened to these children without their mothers?

Perhaps a false ego of our "degrees", our "possessions", our "powers" and our "identities" pushes us farther from the child in us. We shirk away from laughing freely, clapping vigorously, running gaily, stretching an arm instantly and questioning sincerely. And children do this all the time, and with no conscious thought of who they are and where they belong.

The fascinating, promising & generous world - in the absolute sense- doesn't change much. That tiny little human could relive it all anyway.

(picture courtesy- BuddhaDoodles)

If responsibilities pile on with time and make us the tense, fierce and competitive people we are, can we choose to deal with it any other way? Of course, we can! Keep your sense of wonderment about the universe intact, you will notice how nothing can seem worthwhile of our anger, hatred and pessimism. In our heightened illusion and temporary sense of belonging, we create distinctions without seeing the Thread that strings all of us together.

Again, as we mature and grow old, the layers start to peel, the identities give away and we are in fact, children again. Wizened children.

Make no mistake- our responsibilities, our purpose is the story of our life. That cannot be given up, it does not have to be.  Tackle them with vitality and energy, vim and vigour, not with complaints and resentments. Get off the moral high ground. Drop the false sense of outrage. Banish the nagging voice of fear. Do away with the pretense. The child is cruelly punished by these falsehoods.

When I recollect, most of my happiest and memorable moments have often been in the company of children. It also made me realise what I value in human interactions- winning smiles, easy laughs, ready hi-5s and an inquisitiveness to explore and wonder aloud.

Give more, even when there is very little that you have taken. And give willingly.

Dance often, even when you have two left feet. And dance shamelessly.

Laugh aloud, even when the joke is on you. And laugh heartily.

Explore daily, even when everything around you seems mundane and tested. And explore passionately.

Breathe slow, even when time and people catch up. And breathe deeply.

/ennaik-kali tIrttE ulagil Etram puriya vandAi/

My Wholesome Happiness, You came to create progress in this world

Take Bharathiyar's words to your heart. You have come here to create progress in this world, child.

PS- A cover of the song, with English subtitles/translation, can be found here.