Children are great teachers. They can teach us some great lessons about growing up and moving on. Each time I talk to a child, I learn something vital. They feed the mind, and soothe the brain. And of course, laughter is guaranteed. I met my little scoop of joy a few days ago after a long time. Here’s what ensued.
She: Hi Aunty!
Me: Hey, Hi! I haven’t seen you for so many days!
She: Yes, Aunty! I also didn’t see you for so many days. Where were you?
Me: I wasn’t coming every day. I missed you!
She: I also missed you Aunty. I have a big news for you.
Me: Wow! What? Tell me!
She: I came to the 3rd standard!
Me: Congratulations! You are a big girl now, eh? So how did you do in your second-grade exams?
She: I did very nicely! I got A grades in everything. My Mother is very happy.
Me: Naturally! Good girl! Will you study well in the third standard?
She: Yes, Aunty! Aunty, I have three days holiday!
Me: Really? Why?
She: Aunty, they are using our classrooms for something. So they gave us holidays!
Me: That’s great! So what will you do during these three days?
She: I’ll do many things. I’ll play with my sisters, Aunty. They’re very small.
Me: Oh, you have sisters?
She: Yes, Aunty. They’re small girls.
Me: How nice!
She: They are very very small. They are in the second standard! They don’t know anything!
Me: Oh! That means they are really small, no? What about you? You know everything?
She: Yes Aunty. I know everything. I am in the third standard, no?
Me: Hmmm. Then your sisters are so lucky. You can teach them everything no?
She: I’ll teach them Aunty. I will teach them nicely!
Me: Good girl. So what all will you teach them?
She: They are very small, no? I will teach them to be good. And eat without troubling Mummy. And sleep at 8 o’clock. I’ll teach them to study nicely and get all A grades.
Me: You are such a good girl!
She: Yes, Aunty. I like to be good. Aunty, did you bring my Krrish?
Me: No, dear. I didn’t know I’d meet you today!
She: You bring it tomorrow Aunty. I want it.
Me: Sure. And you bring that note from your Mommy.
She: *clucking* Aunty, why you want that note?
Me: Because last time you didn’t tell her where you got the Chota Bheem from.
She: I will tell her Aunty. You don’t worry. I am a big girl now.
Me: I know, sweety. I’ll bring the Krrish tomorrow and you bring the note, okay?
She: Hmmm. Okay! Bye Aunty! You come every day okay? And you stand near this gate only!
Me: *laughing* yes.
She skipped off waving.
What a lovely feeling to feel all grown up at the age of almost 8. And how glorious to think anyone younger is very small! Sigh. But then, even my 12th grader feels that way. When I ask him about something, he says that was such a long time ago! When I persist and ask when, he says, oh, last year!
Moving on…
So – since we’re about growing up and moving on today, let me show you something I’ve been keeping a track of. If you’ve been visiting my blog for a long time now, you’ll probably remember seeing a couple of pictures of this earlier.
Here’s my evolving Anthill. I tell you – it has been growing and growing and I don’t know for how long it is going to keep that up. It looks beautiful, intimidating, and a little bit scary. God knows what’s in there.
Take a look – I’ve mentioned the date with each photo. The people wouldn’t ever dream of taking it down. Religious sentiments. They worship it.
Stunning, isn’t it? It looks different at different times of the day. I haven’t seen any critters in it yet. But I daresay the structure is “alive”. The wonders of nature! I love the feeling of familiarity that comes with noticing all the little things around me. I love how nature teaches us that moving on, moving forward is the best way to live.
Tell me, is there something in your area that you see every day, that fascinates you?
I am linking up with Unknown Mami’s Sundays in my city meme. I love it. It is my weekly ticket to world travel without a visa.
♥
wow, wow, wow!
I saw on tv a document of ants and their lives – fascinating! They are clever and hard-working for their community – like it shows in your amazing series!
Happy Sunday!
Thanks BLOGitse. It is amazing how they simply keep on and on! I dread the day that structure begins to shake. 🙂
Wow 🙂 What an adorable conversation 🙂 loved her spirits 🙂
The anthill story is perfect ! It doesn’t just convey the message that growth happens over time, it shines as a living example of hardwork as well. How hard the ants must work to build such a castle ! I’m sure that anthill has blended well with the environs there, that its absence will be conspicuous:)
Oh yes, it will be, Sreeja. It is such a landmark now, for its sheer size.
Children are always fascinating. 🙂 They are my favorite company!
Thank you!
This was such a delightful read, Vidya, both for the great wisdom you shared with us straight from the mouth of an 8-year-old, and for the amazing pictures of the very much “living” anthill structure. I find such natural wonders so beautiful. Just this morning while getting some dead branches cut from some overgrown bushes in our garden, we discovered a bee-hive on top of a corner wall of the garden. It was so perfectly hidden under those branches and yet all the amazing work was going on inside it. It is so beautifully put together. Of course, we left it there, as is 🙂
Seems like sacrilege to disturb these things, no? Upsetting nature’s delicate balance. I like how they stick to themselves and only attack when they are disturbed. A lot to learn there!
Thank you Beloo! I love that little girl 😀
Hi Vidya
The fact is that kids can come up with astounding insights,Sometimes i think they are born masters of lateral thinking.
That anthill will continue to grow till faith laces the sentiment surrounding it.
Remember the meditating Rishis in the Vedic era?They sometimes lent themselves to anthills as the with teir bodies becoming the core.
Lovely photo-tracking.
Thanks
Mona
Thank you Mona! That child is the father of man is the truth. They are such wonderful stress-busters filled with wisdom. Now we’ve see that anthill for some years…it seems like a part of our lives. Faith can move mountains, and keep them too!
Beautiful pics and adorable conversation..kids are so spontaneous and know their minds.
Cheerz
Thank you, Vishal. :)They do. They especially know how to let go and move on!
Indeed Vidya, children are great teachers and so also the entire nature. Fascinating pictures of how the ants evolved their home with hard work over the time. The lesson of ‘hard work pays’ 🙂
I am in love with that anthill, Rahul. It is beautiful and frightening at the same time! 🙂 Thank you!
Amazing
Thank you, Jim!
My favorite children are 4 year olds. They say the most wonderful things. Loved your conversation.
Thank you Judy!
Such a neat conversation, Vidya, and that ant hill is amazing! It is like a work of art now!
Cool!
Interesting conversation. Maybe I should talk to children more 😀
Kids can inspire and show a different way to look at life. Love the picks of the ant hill or is it termites? I just marvel at my pets and each thing they do every day. They make me smile
Awe, kids are so cute and full of wisdom. Wow! That ant hill is amazing but yes rather scary.
How lovely of you to equate that girl growing and the anthill towering too! So much to learn indeed. Hugs, Vidya 🙂
Isn’t nature an amazing thing… that structure has been built by something so very small.
Mollyxxx
Hi human, Vidya,
Ah yes, listen to the wondrous lessons that children can teach you humans. Innocence, wonder, laughter, love and hope for your own better future. I know you listen to your own inner child as I listen to my own inner puppy. They reveal the truth.
Pawsitive wishes,
Penny the Jack Russell dog and modest internet superstar! 🙂
Children are endless fun. So innocent.
ok seriously.. that ant hill is insane. I have never seen one that big in my life!!!
wow!! That anthill looks majestic almost!
such a cute conversation! Yes, its an awesome feeling – that moment when you realize that you are all grown up! 😀
heh! And then, we actually grow up and wish we are back in those good old days when we were kids!! 😀
I have seen many ant-hills in rural Karnataka and people worship and bow before them.
Conversations with children is a great learning experience.
2 decades ago I used to think reaching the age of fifty is ‘so old’ but today I am inching towards that landmark But I do not feel ‘so old’. ha ha………..
What a great talk with the little girl Vidya. Had me smiling all through it… So cute – they are the best ones to talk to, and great of u too take the time to hear her out too . I think many grown -ups do not – which is a pity. I was just on the balcony admiring my bush with red chilies- which makes me happy !! So many are coming – my neighbor said I could start selling at the local market:-) Ha ha ha:-) I love how u bring out the small happy moments of life:-)
That little girl! What a treat!
I recalled one little chap telling us that he was big because he now washed his own behind! 😉
I really wish we could see what’s inside that ant-hill, Vidya! What a clever idea to document it’s growth!
As usual, you brought a smile! ♥
We all feel like that each day. A year older we get and the world suddenly looks different. The year back is not yesterday but almost 365 yesterdays 😀
Wow, that anthill is FABULOUS!
I live in England and our weather changes from minute to minute – that can be wonderful to watch… the sun and the clouds and the rain… but also, the garden, that evolves hour by hour, the birds in the tree or on the feeder, the plants changing the way they face the light, the shadows.. the blossom is out on the apple tree and it is beautiful at the moment.
I love the way children talk!
Congrats on finishing the A-z, and thanks for being a helper!
Liz http://www.lizbrownleepoet.com
Thank you, Liz! I’ve heard about the English weather! I have a friend who lives there and finds it very fascinating, especially the unannounced rain! So glad you came by! I get my daily dose of happiness from conversations with little children. 🙂
Vidya,
These pictures are fascinating! I really can’t believe it’s an ant hills. You should see ours…very small in comparison. What kind of ants build these?
Thanks for sharing this amazing piece of nature!
Ha ha I remember that age!! Being asked to play with someone even a year younger to me was considered humiliating!! Such a sweet chat :)!!!
HI,
Have I told you I totally enjoy reading your blogs and so I am happily nominating you for Quintet of RAdiance award, pls check the details here http://www.ananyatales.com/2014/05/quintet-of-radiance-award.html .
w0w!
Kids can be so much fun!
What an interesting conversation! It could well have been Bill Cosby asking those questions on Kids say the darndest things. 🙂
That ant hill is fascinating! I know what you mean about not disturbing life. A long time ago (really) when I worked in the Manipal Centre office block in Bangalore, we had this huge bee hive that noone wanted to take down until the bees started t abandon it in favour of visiting our offices! That’s when BMC swung into action.
Thanks Vidya, as always an interesting post that makes me smile and I’m able to answer the question below this box truthfully. 🙂
Hi Vidya-I nominated you for the Liebster award and hope you do not mind but I loved your blog and it gave me always an uplift. You can check it out on my blog at http://www.createdbybb.blogspot.com
Wow that’s quite an intimidating ant hill! Looks like a piece of art though.
I’ve had experiences with crows building nest out of metal wires on my window sill when I lived in Mumbai earlier…never had seen a nest made out of metal wires….guess it was their way of adapting to a metro city 😉
Yes, it’s beautiful. Also, it gives me the creeps as I scroll down. LOL
Fascinating.
All of it.
The dialogue, the ant hill, YOU!
WOW.
every day I see dear in my yard. My heart always does a little flip!
xxx
Love you more than dear at my feeder.