my five-year-old granddaughter neha, running along the quiet lane in our colony, had a fall this morning and badly bruised her knees.
she was running ahead when i was walking to my friend radhakrishnan's home just 50 metres up the lane with her nine-month-old brother kunhikuttan in my arms.
it is our routine nowadays to go there first thing in the morning to see dicky, the white pomeranian, who never barks and likes chocolates and toffees.
neha often takes a bar of chocolate or a piece of toffee to dicky and the three of us--neha, myself and kunhikuttan--would watch her nibbling the offering gleefully, wagging her fluffy tail and running all around us excitedly. my grandson would be jumping in my arms giggling all the while.
this morning, before we reached my friend's gates, neha had this fall gamboling along the tarred lane.
that she was in extreme pain was apparent from the expression on her face, although she was not crying.
"did it hurt," i asked her as her mom cleaned the bruises with cool water preparatory to applying some healing ointment.
she looked up gallantly, her eyes overflowing, and said: "appooppa, it's just that i didn't cry... brave kids don't cry."
her hero is chhotta bheem.
*****
7 comments:
Growing pains for Neha! Who doesn't have keloids on their knees? Great to know that you're enjoying retired life. We should get together some time. Btw, it's not a good idea to feed the dogs with chocolates.
oooh....is there something the wrong feeding a dog with chocolates? one had not known that. this dog is such a lovely creature, loving chocolates seemed part of its sweet nature....
growing pains indeed for neha. two months back she had fractured her left hand thumb. she has this way of positioning herself precariously while doing anything--chattering adventure stories of her imagination most of the time.
she brings one's heart to the mouth, one foot each on either side of our stairs, spanning the width like spiderman. she put her head between the stair railings the other day and had to be extricated through the application of some cool intelligence...
she is making my learning process very fast.
It is rather tragic that we live in a culture that interprets bravery to not crying when hurt or in pain! It's even more tragic when such skewed thinking is extolled as a virtue by doting grandparents.
Bravery is not about not crying when in pain but getting up, dusting yourself off and continuing with what needs to be done!
And yes, chocs are poisonous for dogs. Here's why, http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2011/02/why-chocolate-is-bad-for-dogs/
wow!!!
I found it cute,but I agree with anonymous,if hurt whether mentally or physically we should be able to cry if we feels like it. Even now if I feel hurt I find myself howling like anything,but makes sure its not too loud,,,,with my lips turned down etc etc he he. He says its an interesting sight:<(. Before that action I tell him,rather warn him-achappi I feel like crying and just burst out...
ha ha ha!!!
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