Witty Serendipity

I lie in bed at night and read. I block out the news and the noisy world when I read. I also munch on something spicy or salty or sour when I read. I read fiction, mostly. He plays games on his phone. He watches news and interviews, and gets into long discussions on Facebook chains. If he gets hungry late at night, he eats a sandwich, sometimes with jam. He used to read, now doesn't. And that's one of my life's biggest aims -- to get him to start reading again! And, don't even get me started on mindless games on the phone! (Yes, fine, they aren't mindless, they need strategy and smarts, yada yada yada...) Our reactions to situations differ. I'm great in a crisis, he stresses out. I can be outwardly calm even under stress, he looks as frazzled as his mind feels. I'm judgemental, logical, impatient. He's great with people, both, at reading them and making them comfortable. He doesn't judge, and he has much, much more patience. He spends too

How do I even begin to write this post? I've now written and deleted the opening sentence eight times, and none of them seem to be saying what I want to say! Six months ago, as the day dawned on the 26th of March, at around 5:30 AM, I was getting ready to go to a hospital in Trivandrum, and then on to the airport to catch a flight to Delhi, and take our baby home. I'd been up most of the previous night, with a 14-month old with a congested chest who wheezed with discomfort if I tried to lay her down on the bed. So, I sat up against the headboard of the hotel bed, and hummed under my breath each time she moved. Earlier that night, we had been at the hospital to nebulise her. After almost 3 hours and 5 bouts of nebulisation, the doctors had brought out a form for us me to sign if we wanted to take her home against their advice of admitting her. She was active, playful, and naughty; the nebulisation had made her breathing much easier, and we'd started her off on oral

...on demand is one of the benefits of having a baby. [From: 'If Animals Kissed Good Night', by Ann Whitford Paul & David Walker] Our almost-21-month old is turning into a compulsive hugger, and comes at you with arms spread wide if you ask her for one. She is also the best kisser-away of hurts. If she even so much as sees an old scar, a healed cut, or even an almost-faded-away bruise, she'll point to it and say "OH-ohhh", and proceed to press her stretched-tight lips to it, and go 'ummmmmmaaaaaaa'. There! You're all good!