Moments of Bliss:7 :: My Daughter's birthday when I was away from home !!

Dec 15th is my sweet little daughter's birthday...she is turning 8 now and reminds me that I will get ready for a fresh set of challenges quite shortly that a fathers needs to handle when they are destined to be blessed with beautiful daughters....Right now, she actually looks bit comical with 4 - 5 fallen front teeth showing up her entire soft pinky front jaws when she attempts to smile !!

We do cut cake at home on her birthday inviting half century people (I mean Fifty attendees) but this time we really got bit sick of this extravaganza and pomp that the occassion demands....more out of physical tiredness than for monetary considerations...I tried to check with her if we can avoid the celebrations so grand & can gift away the money to needy people but she is adamant...she told me that we can do BOTH.....!! poor girl....how can she understand that BOTH are not possible....I did not discuss with her further though I was tempted to quote Mother Terasa and few others....and in fact we had decided to celebrate this year too...But not this week end but next week end as she has exams right now and her close circuit of friends will not attend it in case we have it yesterfay or tomorrow..

This year on her birthday..which was yesterday, I was away from my family and had been to my parents' place for the entire week end...reaching home only now... I could sense some dissappointment & sentimental upsets that this can cause and had been quite actively talking to my daughter over phone...calling her up cheerfully sharp at 6 AM (when she was in deep sleep) and checking up with her two or three more times to check what she was doing...In the evening, when I called my wife to report that I will not reach home that evening - the original plan was to come home so that we can go to some Dinner outside atleast..... - I could sense the tinge of dissappointment in both their voices but there was also an understanding of the situation which I capitalised.....

I decided to compensate the upset in plan right today....left my parent's place at 6 AM sharp in the morning and reached home by 7 Am....woke her up and putting on the new sports shoes that I got her (the memorable purchase of this shoes is well recorded in the same series few postings earlier...) and I took her to Natesan Park at T.Nagar.....quite thougtfully....This is the first time she is being taken to such a big park and she got thrilled to see the childrens' section..... I made her walk for 20 minutes (which she rarely does) and then settled in the portion of the park where they had lot of play things meant for children. Though few of them were scary for her, She tried few of them with my help....and few old men and women smilingly looked at us....a father demonstrating things to do and a nervous daughter not willing to get started.....One gentleman watching us started demonstrating lot of athletics and aerobics to my daughter which instead of encouraging her, scared her even more...

It was blissful to see the sweat in my daughter's face at the end of this 1 hour at the park and she promised me on her own that she will get up much earlier on "next" saturday to reach to the same place and learn to hang out on few of the complex play items...

The determination in her voice made me feel that she is going to do it....!! yes, what else is there to me to ensure that I become her driver on next saturday ??

Suchoo