Mir is a little boy of 8 from Afghanistan whose story is being flashed today on National Geographic Channel. In the foreground of a year in his life, the destruction and tragedy of his homeland is recounted.
My children, one aged 9 and the other aged 4 and a half are watching the story. Their eyes are wide with surprise, fear, wonder. Their lips form the questions and then their brain asks another question and they wait till the questions accumulate. We have a rule while watching Discovery and NatGeo – watch the show and ask questions during the commercials. So they watch the boy smile through his poverty and squalid living conditions. They watch him struggle through his fights for survivals. They are amazed at how someone can live with drinking dirty water. How someone can live through so much of cold. But I wonder why never once Rasan and Jai ask me the question about where his TV is. They wonder if he goes to school. They are touched by the hard roti that he has to eat. Jai, with his long experience of life, wants to know why Mir has to pay for his bread.
Rasan asks questions about Bamiyan. Why the statues of Buddha were blasted? Why should someone do anything of that sort? I try to simplify it as much as I can. But it is so hard to tell them why some fundamentalists should try to extinguish the symbols of other religions. She wonders at the caves they are living in, at the dust, at the beautiful flower that has grown in the barrens-in the form of Mir’s little niece. She wonders why Mir’s father keeps hitting him and yet the little one goes on smiling through his beautiful green eyes.
I do not wish to pressurize their minds with the heavy issues of politics. So I leave them alone with their minds working overtime on the issues they are watching. I know Rasan needs a hug and I reach out to her to tell that HER life is okay. I know it will be for many days that I will go on answering their questions on what they saw today. It always happens. One thing at a time….
But they definitely are more sober close to the end of it. I take the opportunity to hit that we all should count our blessings, never say no to food, conserve water by turning the taps off when not required, value our family, thank God for the clothes we wear and the life we enjoy.
As they now sleep on, I feel thankful to God for blessing me with such beautiful, healthy children and a smooth life. At the same time, my heart goes out to Mir and his family. Their heaven is destroyed but the spirit lives on. The reconstruction goes on in Afghanistan. Life never stops….
My children, one aged 9 and the other aged 4 and a half are watching the story. Their eyes are wide with surprise, fear, wonder. Their lips form the questions and then their brain asks another question and they wait till the questions accumulate. We have a rule while watching Discovery and NatGeo – watch the show and ask questions during the commercials. So they watch the boy smile through his poverty and squalid living conditions. They watch him struggle through his fights for survivals. They are amazed at how someone can live with drinking dirty water. How someone can live through so much of cold. But I wonder why never once Rasan and Jai ask me the question about where his TV is. They wonder if he goes to school. They are touched by the hard roti that he has to eat. Jai, with his long experience of life, wants to know why Mir has to pay for his bread.
Rasan asks questions about Bamiyan. Why the statues of Buddha were blasted? Why should someone do anything of that sort? I try to simplify it as much as I can. But it is so hard to tell them why some fundamentalists should try to extinguish the symbols of other religions. She wonders at the caves they are living in, at the dust, at the beautiful flower that has grown in the barrens-in the form of Mir’s little niece. She wonders why Mir’s father keeps hitting him and yet the little one goes on smiling through his beautiful green eyes.
I do not wish to pressurize their minds with the heavy issues of politics. So I leave them alone with their minds working overtime on the issues they are watching. I know Rasan needs a hug and I reach out to her to tell that HER life is okay. I know it will be for many days that I will go on answering their questions on what they saw today. It always happens. One thing at a time….
But they definitely are more sober close to the end of it. I take the opportunity to hit that we all should count our blessings, never say no to food, conserve water by turning the taps off when not required, value our family, thank God for the clothes we wear and the life we enjoy.
As they now sleep on, I feel thankful to God for blessing me with such beautiful, healthy children and a smooth life. At the same time, my heart goes out to Mir and his family. Their heaven is destroyed but the spirit lives on. The reconstruction goes on in Afghanistan. Life never stops….
5 comments:
Dear Mampreet,
I gone through ur blog-Mir and my children.
Thinking about the sufferings of the society is a great feeling.
There r numberless Mirs in ur surroundings on this Globe.
God ne -5 fingers- vi equal nahi rakhian. This difference of size make the hand working, otherwise u can imagine if all were equal.
Similarly God has made all types of persons- black-white, tall-small, rich-poor and so on. So that people should remember Him.
So we must thank 'God' for all the Gifts He has given us- A good house to live in, a nice family
to share with, beautifull children to look after, with plenty of Air to breathe, Water to survive and all kinds of food to enjoy and nature to view with ur eyes and vision.
We can teach to all our concerned- including ur own children- not to waste even a single bite of food, not to think of garbaging it. It will be a great saving for the - have-nots.
U r already on that track to teach them not to waste water even,which has its limited sources.
Thinking over the Global Problems is the need of the day, so u have aptly chosen the way through blog named -Everyday Happenings- to share with like minded people.
God Bless u to pen down much more u have in ur mind to share with.
AMEN. DHINDSA
hello manpreet,
it is really tough to see and watch the hard realities of life of those who live without a days meal.we dont have to just pity their lives.let us who eat a stomach full and sometimes even more,resolve to help atleast one person/family to whom we can lend some help.
M.I.Singh
Glad to know that your children watch these channels on television...These are among my favourites too, along with Animal Planet (I'm sure they'll like that one too, if they start watching it!).
Thanks for ur feedback on my blog. Children do give amazing reactions to situations like this by responding to the situation of that kid who was their age mate and not so privileged.
And yes, they do watch Animal Planet.
This is an amazing post.. brought back all my thoughts from "A thousand splendid suns" all over again.
You what is so amazing about being around kids, they give you a perspective, unclouded by context or knowledge and the simplicity stuns you.
I so wish we could feel like this more often about our world...
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