Aham Brahmasmi

Tilgul Ghya...

She comes inside the kitchen for her morning hug, then takes a stroll around the house. Rangoli, headbathed mother and some thing different on the stove this morning.

"Is it a festival?"

I nod in my haste. Right now I am watching over three open flames, the oven and the microwave while jogging to give her what she needs to get ready.

"What's this?" She has picked up the star of the show this morning. A tiny sesame seed.

"That's a sesame seed...til in marathi."

"Till. I don't think I will like it."

"You like it on your bagel."

"Because it's a bagel. You are making bhakri." She turns her nose at it and leaves to get ready.

An hour later I sit across from her relaxing with my cup of tea when she is prepared for questions.

"What are we celebrating?"

"Sankranti"

"Means what?"

Means what... This is why I have to study still.

"Sankranti is the festival of..."

"No the literal meaning." My little delta in the making queries while carefully picking cashews out of her plate of poha.

"I think it means a positive transition. Rather a revolution."

"Revolution? So we gotta sing jan gan man?"

"No thats Jan 26." I let out a laugh and she gets offended.

Why are girls so sensitive. I wonder while taking the spoon to feed her the entire thing and not just the embellishments.

"Sankranti is celebrated when the earth tilts on its axis so that the sun is visible for a longer time. It means daytime will start increasing now."

"More playtime."

"Yep. You got it."

"Why eat 'Til' then? Why do need to cook different stuff for all festivals?"

"Good questions. Til, gud (jaggery), ghrut (ghee or clarified butter) make your body warm from the inside."

"So they are like jackets only inside."

"Kinda. But do you know what it means to be warm inside?"

My daughter realized this is the part which is complicated so I have her attention.

"To be warm inside means to be caring, be nice to people around us. You remember til gud ke laddoo?"

I get a more fervent nod this time.

"Remember how its sticky, sweet?"

"Yes." I get a big smile. She loves sweets.

"They stick together, spread warmth and are very healthy."

"So we should learn to stick together ?"

"Absolutely." I beam.

"So festival food teaches us to be sweet." She brightens up on that discovery.

Girls are so smart. Wait till you have this chat with Mr. Wannabe Gecko.

"So we try to be nice to each other, try to stick together and be warm inside."

"Yup"

"Thats what you told me at Christmas!"

"Well isn't it the most important thing to learn?"

"Yeah...kids can be mean..."

New school woes I think.

"It's like your multiplication tables. We gotta do them often to remember them well."

"I do remember both!"

"Because you're the perfect little girl." She gets a kiss from mommy who smiles with pride.

"I am a big girl now." She mutters embarrassed while figuring out the bunny loop on her shoes like a pro.

"I can see."

"Mumma...I will share often...even with that Gecko." She tells me while getting out the door.

A tiny effort each year. Positive transition...