Morning journey observations and thoughts

Its been so long since I put anything of interest here. It feels like my life and perspectives have changed so much since Chuktu, that I’ve somehow become immune to small things that I see everyday. But over the past few days, on the way to work we (hubby and I) have been noticing the kids and the parents:
a. A kid and the mommy crossing a busy intersection – the kid lifting its head upto the sun and smiling while the harried mommy is looking left-right-left and rushing ahead holding onto the girl’s hand. The little girl giggles and runs along with the mom…

b. Kids in the cars, whose parents drop them to school- Older kids are either dozing off or looking into books. Kids about 4-7 yrs old, either sitting on the mom’s lap or along with the mom in the back seat-eating/being fed breakfast. Some kids sitting on the front seat with the driver (can be mom or Dad) are twisted in their seats so that they face the parents and are animatedly talking with bright eyes and hand movements while the parent is negotiating the traffic and maybe sometimes glancing in the kids direction and prompting them.

c. Kids with their Dads standing in the bus stop waiting for the bus-leaning on the Dad’s legs, looking around at the traffic while the Dad is mostly keeping an eye on the watch or on the younger kid who might be playing around nearby.

d. Little older kids who stand a few feet away from the parents while the younger ones are either holding the parent’s hand or leaning on them-the difference in growing up-wanting or not wanting the few more minutes of attention…

e. Some mommies trying to ensure that all books are kept, or maybe checking the homework? while the gang of kids are busy running around the mommies.

All these makes us smile, looking at the enthusiasm of the kid, the smile with which they get into their school buses or look around absorbing things around them while more often than not, the parents have a vague – lets just get this done, harried expression. We think, why we cannot be like those kids-lifting the head up to the sun, breathing in that fresh air, find a giggle in running across the street, uninhibitedly express the desire to be close to someone? Why? We already noticed that as the kids grow older, they prefer to start bringing in that distance. Or is it that the parents make them so? Ask them to be independent which starts from not leaning on the parent? We get so self-involved, rushing through the day, that the small things that really matter like the crisp,fresh morning air and the bright sun light go un-noticed…Is this what growing up is all about? *Sigh* how wonderful it would be that we could retain that zest for life and find joy in the small things.