What will I be!

We may accept our little ones as they are but will we accept who they want to be? Of course this is a question we won't have to grapple with right now, but the flurry of comments I received for a recent photo of Abhay on a social networking site, got me thinking. More than couple of months ago, Abhay came in to my office as I was returning from court and expressed a desire to try on my lawyer garb. As he donned my black coat and white band, I couldn't help but share that moment with my friends (it is an affliction actually!). While I was just goofing around and had absolutely nothing in mind about my seven year old's future plans, the comments I received made me wonder... what if.... and why not!:-)) That’s when parents like me are tempted into wishing and hoping for our little ones follow into our professional footsteps! I guess every parent has a vision of what they want their child to become, but the question is will they let their child be weighed down by their expectation or let it go. While I would love it if Abhay chose law as his calling, but I do understand that it is his life after all, he can be whatever he wants to be…..and I must remind myself to read this in a few years from now!:-) So extending today’s reading prompt for the 30 books in 30 days challenge “I am I”, a little further, here’s to all our little ones…. “You are you…and you can be whatever you want to be”!

So today we read “What will I be” a Karadi Tales publication by Nandini Nayar and illustrated by Francesco Manetti. Sameer plays hide and seek with his mother and gets easily found hiding behind the flower pot. So his imagination takes flight as he pictures himself in various roles as a train engine driver, a pilot or a chef, a doctor ,a mountaineer, a wild life explorer, and a zoo keeper wherein he could easily be out of his mother's watchful eye! But his mother only smiles and explains how she could easily find him when he stops the train at the railway station or as he lands his plane or from the smell of his piece de resistance, or when she calls on him when sick, or when she reads about his famou mountaineering or wildlife adventures in the newspaper! Sammer then decides to stay back for a while longer after all. Complemented by vibrant and humorous illustrations, this book can surely double up as a educative book on jobs and professions. The narrative though couched in a playful banter between the mother –son duo, subtly conveys the message that …..no matter what, you can be whatever you want to be! Not to forget the side note (which is so true!) that no matter where you are….you can never hide from mommy! :-)