Mothers On The Go

Chocolates and Ice creams are like seasoning in our household.

I don’t keep a tight purse string on how much I buy in terms of goodies, candies and the children are always “sugar-comforted” after a prank or a good deed.

The refrigerator is their snack machine cum comforter cum pacifier if all other pass times fail.

To tell you frankly I have felt quite lonely at times because the refrigerator and the the snack cabinet are the most coveted places in the house.

Oh Yeah! the TV, somewhere shares the same graph! But all of this put together is  a lethal concoction of  ‘FUN’.

I WANT TO BE THE CENTER OF ATTENTION- Mummy this and Mummy that! But alas, once the TV button goes on, a snack is opened, their world now revolves in the wonderful fairy, dino and magic land of cartoons.

My friends tell me I am lucky that I have trained my children to “self-amuse” themselves. Whatever is that?

Its not what you think. I still want to be a part of their daily amusement, someone they look up to have fun with and not simply- “Hey Mom, the cable subscription just lapsed, could you like get it re-subscribed in the next  like …..2 minutes(commercial time)?

(Deep, long cold breath!) Oh I miss being the one and only that they look up to when they want anything or fail at anything!

Ma- I fell(wail, wail)!!!!

She hit me! Ma!

Can I have another cookie, Mom?

I want to ride the cycle on my own, let me go Ma!

And that is how it happens. It all starts with riding the cycle on their own, then calling friends over for a sleep over, then going to friends for a sleepover, long long long phone calls, “the keep off my room” board, bathing by themselves, combing, dressing, choosing clothes off the counter and the umbilical cord has been finally cut!

But I heard those magical words today-”Ma, I NEED YOU”

I got a call from school that my 6 y.o was complaining of breathlessness. Asthma! Dust Allergy, Short of breath… why? All bad thoughts flooded my head. I could picture her barely able to breathe – in my head! OMG!

Then she came on the phone-

“Ma, Cant breathe, I NEED YOU, do something”.

That was it! I took out my supersonic jet and wore my Kryptonic suit and off I was in a jiffy. “Baby here I come, (armed with my household nebulizer)!”

Mother comforting Sick child

I screeched my car to a traffic jamming halt and parked it wrong, in the “Not for Outsiders, only for Handicapped Employees” lane and rushed to rescue her. There she was sitting, happily chatting with the school nurse who was amusing her with a hand puppet.

Me: “What happened?” (Didn’t they just tell you on the phone, DUH!)

Nurse: “Oh She is alright Mrs K, she has a bad bout of cold and a blocked  nose! Thatz all!”

THAT’S ALL! I jumped 2 lights and my tires have burnt enough rubber to demand a change and talking of change, I am in my pajamas and I haven’t changed!(I screamed in my head!)

Me: (unlike me, calm, cool, composed) “But, she sounded……… desperate!”

At this point, my daughter rushed into my arms like a little kitten, all purring and cooing. She was breathing with little difficulty, but not with the urgency with which I rushed in…. my JAMS!

“Ma! I missed you, I wanted to see you, I have a blocked nose and I couldn’t breathe and I wanted to see you immediately., what took you so long?”…. she went on and on and on.

I was so choked, I heard nothing after that!

Point taken and saved! A mother is irreplaceable! I made a promise the day the hospital handed me my kids. To protect, cocoon and  comfort… always! To be a teacher, nurse, dictator, but most of all a MOTHER!

She has to be Omnipresent, Super-Woman, Super-Cuddler, Super-Duper and all rewards, cuddles and kisses  are hers.

Late and delayed, but definitely only a Mothers!