Sick Day Quotes

Trouble with sick kids is that first sign that fever subsides, it's back to clowning around! It's in the jeans!

She has fever. My assessment is that it's not Swine Flu even as many are threatened these days. Fortunately, wifey is here, but it still will need a concerted effort, not just the necessary medicines to give the best possible care to little kid.

Weak as she is, you can't stop her from being silly.

"Dad, look. My cough sounds like fireworks! Awesome"

Asked on her preference of doctors, kid answers, "Dr. Banner (Hulk), Dr. Manhattan (Watchmen) and Dr. Connors (From Spidey). Why? "They don't have friends!"

Brain-fried.

Movies for Life

F/Poster Parent

Couple of things that happened Sunday/yesterday.

1. Was able to watch 2 movies at home on TV. If you have a kid and you have a TV set, you know this is rare. First movie we watched was Knowing and the second was Mulan. Funny but it seemed that those were good films about fatherhood and was trying to tell me something about the day. Watch and weep.

2. First time that Zaki greeted me Happy Father's Day! I'm not sure if she really gets it but she just came up to me while we were walking and greeted me with a hug. Sucker punched!

3. Went out early for groceries and terrible day to go to the malls. Call me grouché but I really am not into celebratory kind of moods created by commercialism.

4. Was kind of hard on Zaki for not getting her 'shapes' right but discovered that online kids' games sure are helpful especially those with vocals that ask questions. Besides, I was already 6 or 7 years old when I learned about those so I will have to remind myself to give her some slack .

5. I still have a lot to work on to be the best dad for Zaki. Hope it's never too late.

Not so dumb question from Zaki:
Why would someone like Anakin later turn bad and become Vader? Thinking that she won't get it if I spoke about greed, I answered: He wanted all the power for himself. While she thinks of power in superhero terms, I think about people's fundamental need for it as it relates to control over things external but never for that which is within. We both repeated ourselves at least twice more and left it at that. Both perplexed about the statements we made.

Better if we just watch the movie ...

BTW, Zaki loves singing along to the song Little Wonders and we love listening to it, too...

Beginner's Mind

Kid and her new kingdom

I had been wrestling with a project at work for almost 2 weeks now to the point of obsessing over it and not getting restful sleep - not that I had been getting any ever since Zaki has occupied almost half of the bed between mum and me. Or has it been ages even before that, probably.

Anyway, regarding the project, I had kept reading and referencing stuff and other materials every time I am in front of the computer which is something I'm proud to be quite adept at already. Yet offline, my brain still seems to function as if it were processing data on every possible outcome of the project - the answer to which is still hanging even as I write this piece. It is paralyzing, really and as a consequence, I am not able to fully appreciate time and life as a whole. It is easy to cry for a break but doing so is a different matter - especially when the reins are coming from inside. Mental, as we all would say.

Which has led me to again to tap into that internal resource for coping well which isn't as easy as pushing buttons but then events and surroundings have a peculiar way of offering help. Here goes:

1. It's back to school time for Zaki starting yesterday and how lovely it is to see school premises and bolted gates to keep kids from leaving (and parents from staying) again. New shoes, uniform and polished new smiles from kids who again embark on new adventures holding loads of books and unbelievably big luggages. So? They do have these different bags (Zaki's got Marvel Avengers :) yet none of the baggages. You see open hearts and open minds. Non-critical and in sync with positivity. There's more than a bit to that.

2. Twitter: A daily dose of wisdom. Quit Often To Succeed In Life . Strange but once you read it, you'll be enlightened. 3. Comparative Religion. I call it as such because I do believe that different religions convey something similar in their teachings though I'm partial to Jesus and Buddha by way of upbringing and interest. And so I thought that I wasn't working as efficiently on the project to the point that it feels like walking with weights and being caught in a whirlpool at same time. I knew I had to employ a different tact to make it all work and give my best self to it. Then comes Beginner's Mind.

But what about Jesus, I silently pondered. Surely, He would have something to say about this. True enough, she was in front of me all along.

Excuse me while I go and work some more...