Home Gratitude Little Scoops Of Joy

Little Scoops Of Joy

by Vidya Sury October 28, 2013 34 comments
my scoops of joy

I have an unlimited supply of joy. They come in scoops from little angels.. When I don’t see one of these angels I get all worked up. Remember this post where I mentioned a little girl, a second grader I meet often? Well, I felt a little sad when I didn’t see her for almost a week.Β  I started worrying about her, wondering if she was okay.

Then, two days ago, there she was, skipping towards me, grinning, with her customary β€œAuntiee”.

I said β€œhey! I haven’t seen you for a week! didn’t you come to school?”

She said: β€œsometimes I didn’t come, Auntieee”. Hmm. Whatever that meant. But I was mesmerized by her smile.

She held up something and said β€œPencil!”

I looked at it. β€œLooks like a pen to me!”

She said, β€œOkay! pen!” and laughed uncontrollably. I had no choice but to respond. So funny.

Then I asked her, β€œWhy do you have that paper around it?”

She frowns for a nanosecond, then says β€œSimply!” and bursts into fresh laughter.

As if to say, who needs a reason to do these things?

Not to be outdone, I ask β€œWhat’s on that paper?”

She says, β€œNothing!” and tries to take it off the pen. The moment it comes off, she puts it back around the pen.

I say, β€œI can see something written on it!”

She says, soothingly, β€œIts okay, Auntiee”! Why should that worry me, right?

Then, curious, I ask her, β€œWhere did you get the pen?”

Pens are allowed only from Grade 6.

She said, reverently, β€œTeacher’s pen! It is a red pen! I brought it for her for corrections!”

Wow, I thought. Then we just stood there grinning at each other.

Then I asked her, β€œSo where do you live? How do you go home?”

She said, β€œI walk” pointing to her feet. So sweet. And continued, β€œMy house is there”, pointing randomly, arm raised above her head.

I asked, β€œWhat you do after you reach home?”

She said, β€œI wash my hand, my leg and my face with soap. Then I change my dress. Then I watch Cartoon Network or Pogo on TV”

I asked, β€œWhat about food? Do you eat after you go home?”

She said, β€œYes! My Mother will give me on a plate”. How specific!

I asked, β€œWhich is your favorite program?”

She said, β€œChota Bheem, Ganesha, Krishna”

Then I had a brainwave! I immediately grabbed my phone and asked her if I could take a picture of her. She said β€œwait” and adjusted her posture,Β  and smiling, said out of the corner of her mouth, without changing her expression, β€œtake now”.

Here she is, my little friend. Who knew that friendship band I tied around her wrist would bring so much fun into my life?

Secret Garden Vidya Sury 1

Then she wanted to see her photo. I showed it to her. She said β€œnice!”. I said β€œthank you!” and, twirling around once, she said β€œsee you tomorrow, β€˜bye!” and skipped away. She looked back to wave every few steps and I loved it. I am a sucker for the waving-until-out-of-sight practice! What I loved even more was the sound of her singing loudly, joyously! I followed her all the way to the gate a few steps behind her.

Little scoops of joy!

Now, the next little β€œflower”. Look at this little girl. She can’t talk yet. She wobbles when she walks, but refuses help, the independent little thing. She took off her little bonnet every few seconds, only to put it on again. I had a delightful ten minutes of her tripping all over the place.

scoops of joy

Face off eh?

scoops of joy 2

Love the way she’s preening!

Yesterday, I went to the supermarket to shop. And see what I brought back! What a hyperactive child! His Grandma had her hands full keeping him attached to her hand! I can’t help laughing when I think of the tray of eggs saved from his grip! First he wanted to explore the dustbin. Then he grabbed a tray of eggs, was nabbed in time and dragged away!

vidya sury secret garden

scoops of joy vidya sury 9

That rack on his left
had egg trays stacked in it

Now, here’s a pic of another highly energetic child I see regularly. Don’t be fooled by that butter-wont-melt-in-my-mouth look. My head spins watching her jump around, on and off that slab of stone, picking up stones and throwing it on the wall and laughing! What did I do to get this look? Just said β€œshhhh”. And she instantly went and sat down and looked at me with that sad expression!

vidya sury secret garden 10

Then, I saw this on the bus. Made my heart melt. The bus conductor was yelling at someone, people were talking on their phones or conversing – yet this Mother and child were in their own world. The child was fascinated by the moving scenery. The Mother was laughing in delight at her gurgling child. I know where her scoops of joy come from!

secret garden vidya sury 4

And since we are talking of wee things, let me show you something from my box of memories. My tiniest book. The Little Webster dictionary.

secret garden vidya sury 6

It is a legit dictionary and I’ve carried it in my school uniform pocket for years.

secret garden vidya sury 7

I’ve always gotten along well with children. I adore them. And I am gratified they seem to like me too. I always marvel at how joyful they are.

β™₯

I love how they…

bloom when they’re encouraged.

don’t let fear stop them from forging ahead

bounce back quickly, when they’re disappointed

seem to sense, toΒ  know so many thingsΒ  instinctively

sing like no one’s listening, dance like no one’s watching

talk to themselves, telling themselves what they want to hear

take what they hear at face value without digging for a deeper meaning

marvel at everything, showing a fresh view of the world

accept love without worrying about appearances

show off even the littlest things with pride

are ready to hug and show their love

live in the moment

don’t worry

are happy

β™₯

I always feel that as long as I continue to enjoy the company of children, I’ll have an abundant and continuous supply of scoops of joy. And? Their fun and laughter is my favorite way to stay young!

Here is one of my favorite messages…

scoops of joy

Where do you find your scoops of joy?

Have a wonderful week ahead!

Linking up with the delightful Unknown Mami,Β  who hosts Sundays In My City. World travel is a perk especially when we enjoy it via our keyboards.

β™₯

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34 comments

Sheethal October 28, 2013 at 6:10 pm

Children definitely leaves a person bliss. Having a younger bro, his in numerous friends their siblings and adding to that my own niece n nephews, I too find my scoop if happiness with lil ones…

The lil ones above look so adorable. Esp the first one. Teddy hugs to her <3

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Vidya Sury October 28, 2013 at 6:19 pm

Thank you, Sheethal! Happiness is truly in the little things!

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Corinne Rodrigues October 28, 2013 at 7:06 pm

What a little cutie that girl is! She’s going to grow up to one heart-breaker! πŸ™‚
I love watching kids too. The other day a little procession was walking in front of me on their way back from school. One of the chaps, egged another to ring a bell on the gate of a house. For fun, I cleared my throat very loudly before he did it and enjoyed watching the mixture expressions on their faces!
Little scoops of joy, indeed! Nicely topped off with that teeny dictionary! πŸ™‚
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted…Don’t Take Anything Personally

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Jairam Mohan October 28, 2013 at 7:29 pm

This was just such a beautiful heartwarming post with all those cute lil pictures of those kids and descriptions of their antics. Given that my little one and her mother have been away for 10+ days now and are back only two days later, I am missing them a lot after reading this post.

Thanks for sharing the warmth Vidya, truly appreciate it.
Jairam Mohan recently posted…The last battle of Karna

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Vinma October 28, 2013 at 7:36 pm

what a way to capture the innocent spirit of children! Loved it- Thanks for sharing πŸ™‚
Vinma recently posted…DIY Halloween Candy Shaped Cupcake Toppers!

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Rekha October 28, 2013 at 8:57 pm

Awww…those were scoops one could die for. Childhood, innocence and mischief are worth your time any day. Lovely kids and lovely pics. πŸ™‚
Rekha recently posted…Paper Glass

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Pixie October 28, 2013 at 9:58 pm

Thank you for this post.
I was feeling a bit blue and this cheered me up πŸ™‚
Pixie recently posted…55 Fiction for Write Tribe

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Gaori Agrawal October 28, 2013 at 10:51 pm

Hi Vidya,

Lovely post! I love how children seem to find joy and laughter in everything…their innocence and naughtiness is so refreshing πŸ™‚

Thanks for sharing!
Gaori Agrawal recently posted…Goal Setting: Are You Wasting Your Potential By NOT Setting Goals?

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Vidya Sury October 28, 2013 at 10:55 pm

Hi Gaori! Yes, I am constantly enthralled by their ability to inspire me. Absolute stress zappers πŸ™‚ Thank you for commenting!

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Karen Jolly October 28, 2013 at 11:29 pm

Vidya – you look for scoops of joy and you find them everyday! What a beautiful practice of joy. This brightened my day beyond words!! I look for joy in people’s smiles…today I am going to look for that joy everywhere I go. When someone breaks into a smile it is like the heavens opening to reveal a rainbow for a moment – it is pure magic! πŸ™‚
Thank you so much for sharing your joy today!! hugs, Karen
Karen Jolly recently posted…Just Do It

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Mary Stephenson October 29, 2013 at 12:34 am

Hi Vidya

A small child’s laughter especially over the silliest things can’t help but make you laugh.

Don’t see many small children where I am at. But you are so right they have this great ideal world in which they live in their imagination. If only things were so simple as when we were children.

I guess my scoops of joy are my cats. Life is so grand for them and they make me laugh everyday.

Mary
Mary Stephenson recently posted…Brain Fog and How to Grab it by The Tail

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My Inner Chick October 29, 2013 at 3:38 am

I adore your “little scoops of joy.”

Vidya, you are a prayer in this world.

I thank God for you. Xx
My Inner Chick recently posted…Silence Is A Killer

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Elle October 29, 2013 at 4:21 am

How beautifully joyful Vidya. Love your pics as always. Those little faces are so very dear.

Thanks for the mention dear friend.

e-hugs
Elle recently posted…One Surefire Way To Find And Keep Love

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Betsy/Zen Mama October 29, 2013 at 4:39 am

Vidya,
I love your scoops of joy! I receive little scoops of joy daily from my preschoolers. I also find joy in flowers and the beautiful colors in nature. I also receive great joy from my family and friends.
Thanks for sharing your joy with me!!
Betsy/Zen Mama recently posted…Ok, You’ve Told Me Not To Worry…Now Tell Me How!

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Proactive Indian October 29, 2013 at 7:54 am

Lovely post!

I fully agree that enjoying the company of young children is the best way to stay young. It helps one to remain childlike (NOT childish).

If a child is not around at the moment, reading a Billy Bunter or William book or Tinkle is a decent substitute.

β€œA child can teach an adult three things: to be happy for no reason, to always be busy with something, and to know how to demand with all his might that which he desires.” – Paulo Coelho
Proactive Indian recently posted…Why this deafening silence?

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Obsessivemom October 29, 2013 at 9:06 am

I’ve said this before but I’ll say it again…. I love the positivity of your posts, that you find happiness in such small things. Always inspires me. Have a good day.

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Rahul October 29, 2013 at 9:26 am

A cute post Vidya:) Children are bundles of joy and one can spend any amount of time in their company!

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Gita sharma October 29, 2013 at 10:51 am

these little ones are always a joy thanks for sharing and reitirating that innocence is bliss.why do we leave it behind as we grow with the mundane bogging us down that at times we forget to smile.
hugs
gita

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richmiraclefiles October 29, 2013 at 2:15 pm

Hi Vidya,
Litle scoops of joy they are all right.And you’ve caught a scoopful of good pics there.
You’re lucky that you get along so well with kids.No wonder they catch your vibes,and reciprocate.The bset thing about kids is their Total-Presence-in-The-Moment attitude to life.
Have been missing your post for some time now.thanks you posted in time.
Thanks
Mona
richmiraclefiles recently posted…Encounters With People in life;What Are Your Choices?

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Shilpa Garg October 29, 2013 at 10:16 pm

Such a gem of a post! Thanks a lot for spreading cheer and positivity and inspiring too! Hugs Vidya πŸ™‚
Shilpa Garg recently posted…Spine Poetry – 10

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the little princess October 30, 2013 at 6:09 pm

u sound so much like my mom…if i learnt anything about how to behave with kids, its all due to her…

a lovely bunch of cheery pics..and yea that little dictionary..i have one copy of it too!
the little princess recently posted…The struggle- 55 fiction

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Rae Buchanan October 30, 2013 at 9:11 pm

Vidya, your post reminds me so much of my great Aunt. I never knew someone who got so much joy from us kids. Now that I have my own, I can see through her eyes even better. People who deeply love and appreciate children and animals are truly happy!! Thanks for sharing such a sweet post. The pictures of the children were wonderful!
Rae Buchanan recently posted…Howling Fun Halloween Crafts for Kids Mini-Series Part 3

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Vidya Sury November 4, 2013 at 12:27 pm

Thank you, Rae! πŸ™‚ I have always loved children, but I think I’ve started noticing them more minutely after my son started school – 13 years ago. Oh they are such a joy! And solid stress-relievers with their amazing talk!

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Rajeev Moothedath November 1, 2013 at 6:03 am

It is nice that you have the time in today’s rat race world to observe these angels & have the the kindness & initiative to share with all of us so that we may also be happy & joyful
Thank you so much!

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Vidya Sury November 4, 2013 at 12:26 pm

Thank you Rajeev! I love the little things around me!

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Jan Johnsen November 1, 2013 at 6:19 pm

I just shared this on Facebook….little scoops of joy! I love your conversation about the pencil…I mean, pen. “simply”.
Jan Johnsen recently posted…Norm Magnusson – Decorating Nature

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Kalpana Solsi November 1, 2013 at 6:49 pm

Vidyaji, children are a source of immense joy.and you have a smiling neighbourhood.

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Kathy November 1, 2013 at 8:06 pm

You are simply surrounded by adorable children! It sounds like that makes your days so much happier to have these little rays of sunlight bouncing about bursting with laughter. β™₯
Kathy recently posted…Trapped

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Amit November 4, 2013 at 12:19 pm

Lovely post Vidya. I can related to all this now. πŸ™‚
Amit recently posted…Daddy Diaries : The terrorist and the fountain of milk

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Vidya Sury November 4, 2013 at 12:25 pm

Thank you Amit! I am still laughing, thinking of your post about the assassin who tried to kill your family! πŸ˜€ I hope Anika gets well soon!

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Unknown Mami November 10, 2013 at 11:34 pm

This post was full of all sorts of contagious joys.
Unknown Mami recently posted…Learnin’ (Sundays In My City)

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Vidya Sury November 13, 2013 at 9:37 pm

Thanks Claudya. And I am so blessed to enjoy this every day!

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Dorothy Johnson November 13, 2013 at 7:50 pm

Loved the pictures and narrative about the children you encountered in your day. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we never lost that resilience? I had two aunts who didn’t have children. They brought so much joy to their nieces’ and nephews’ lives, and looking back, I imagine we brought the same to theirs.

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Vidya Sury November 13, 2013 at 9:36 pm

Thank you, Dorothy! You know, I can relate to what you are saying. My uncles did not have children and they simply showered their nieces and nephews with affection.:-)

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