Have A Break! Have A Cool Summer!

Summer is  officially here!  ( Picture illustrated by my daughter)

Something To Reflect Upon

This was an email forward that was sent to me.This is a story  of   a father  explaining to his child the challenges that she may have to deal with , passing through life's journey.


Happy Reading!

Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?

A daughter complained to her father about her life and how things have been so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and she wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed that just as one problem was solved another arose.

Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen, filled three pots with water and placed the fire on high. Soon the three pots came to a boil. In one he placed carrots, in the other he placed eggs, and the last he placed ground coffee beans. He let them sit and boil, without saying a word.

The daughter sucked her teeth and impatiently wondered what he was trying to do. She had problems, and he was making this strange concoction. In half an hour he walked over to the stove and turned down the fire. He pulled the carrots out and placed them in the bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them in the bowl. Then he ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.
Turning to her he asked. “Darling what do you see?

“Smartly, she replied. “Carrots, eggs, and coffee.

He brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. Her face frowned from the strength of the coffee.

Humbly, she asked. “What does it mean Father?”

He explained. “Each of them faced the same adversity, 212 degrees of boiling water. However each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. But after going through boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg was fragile. A thin outer shell protected a liquid center. But after sitting through the boiling water, it’s inside became hardened. The coffee beans are unique however. After they were in the boiling water, it became stronger and richer.

Which are you, he asked his daughter? When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?

Are you the carrot that seems hard, but with the smallest amount of pain, adversity, or heat you wilt and become soft with no strength.

Are you the egg, which starts off with a malleable heart? A fluid spirit. But after a death, a divorce, an accident you became hardened and stiff. Your shell looks the same, but you are so bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and heart, internally.

Or are you like the coffee bean? The bean does not get its peak flavor and robust until it reaches 212 degrees Fahrenheit. When the water gets the hottest, it just tastes better.

When things are  worst, you get better. When people talk the most, your praises increase. When the hour is the darkest, trials are there greatest, your worship elevates to another level. How do you handle adversity?

Mother's Musings

Cleaning The Clutter In Us

Handling A Vegetarian

When children are  little, it is the duty of us, as  parents (especially the mother) to see that the children  eat appropriate food at appropriate times.As parents, we often  try to get  the best food across to our children.And on a regular basis,cook healthy meals and feed it to our young off springs. If they didn’t eat to full ,we go to the extent of  supplementing  them with extras, in the form of vitamin syrups.

Most children  at this young  age become very fastidious over food and wouldn’t even think of eating anything new that the mother introduces .By the time they reach  the  adolescent years, they will have the independence of following their own eating habits. At this stage they may have preferences between healthy and unhealthy foods.

If your children show an interest in fruits and vegetables.Be sure to make  dishes using their favourite fruits and vegetables.Each day try to make a different dish. Sometimes they wouldn’t like the same taste of food that is being laid on the table.Often children take hold of whatever they see in the refrigerator when they are hungry, so have slices of fruits and a bowl of salad made  with their favourite vegetables.Try keeping the healthiest food easily accessible.

There are times when they crave for  junk food ..And that’s when the war begins  at the table.Don’t prohibit junk food all at once .It’s all right  if they eat it once in a way.You can help your children limit  junk food as much as possible. And as they start growing they will freely have their choice of food too.

I have a daughter who didn’t quite like the taste of fish,chicken or beef  right from  her toddler years.and I used to think that  it was just a passing phase and didn’t try to coerce her into eating meat.But then a few years later,when she  was about  seven  she started to relish my meat dishes.However one day, while we were having cooked beef curry for dinner, she suddenly prompted where meat came from. And when I said from the cow, she hurriedly left the table, her plate untouched, and innocently said, “Eww…gross  ! A cow dish!’.And ever since, she has not eaten anything that has meat in it. 

She’s fourteen  now and a vegetarian, Being a vegetarian necessarily doesn’t mean she' s eating all the vegetables that I make..She is picky too.! She mostly loves to eat an unbalanced vegetarian diet which consists of fried food and  potatoes.She intensely dislikes when the vegetables are cooked  in the usual type, curried vegetables with gravy, which is commonly prepared in a typical Sri Lankan home.Now I have adapted a different mode of cooking  vegetable dishes just for her.After a lot of convincing,she has started to eat the baked variety.I try my best to see that her diet is nutritionally adequate and healthful. I have been  trying to supplement her with all kinds of everything.  So far I have not succeeded in my many attempts to make her change her mind  to eat meat again .But I guess my tactics are not working anymore.

                       My daughter’s favourite-cauliflower,carrots and zucchini

                        The veggies baked with tomato paste and  mild spices

A Visit To The Book Fair And A Lesson Learnt

Last evening , we went to  a book fair which was held in our locality. My children had got the brochures , which had being distributed at school. As soon as my  husband said that we would be able to attend, the children, especially the sons, got so excited about it and were chattering non-stop about what books they should be buying and what latest books  they were going to select. Lately I have been observing their mind-set during their spare time, I couldn’t be possibly  imagining this , but I feel they are  showing less interest in playing with their toys and have gradually shifted their interests in reading books. Which is a good sign indeed! A sign of development I should say, although  their reading is focused mainly towards the  animated characters that they have been  watching on television,  for most part of their growing years. As a parent ,who loves reading as well ,seized   this  opportunity with the intent of  encouraging them and showing  support towards  their latest inclination.  What is more important is as they grow older , they would with all possibility changed the genre and would be  reading more advanced books.

 By the way, there was so much to browse and I didn’t know where to begin .Eventually I ended up buying a few too.The best part of going to the fair was when I  got an honest opinion (which I least anticipated) from my second daughter, who is fourteen and  a vegetarian by all means. She  suggested a latest copy of a vegetarian’s recipe book, She felt I needed to buy that particular book , in order to experiment new variety and  give flavour to the  vegetable dishes that I have been preparing for her for the past one year. In other words ,she  was  bored eating the same kind of  stuff everyday . What a change of twist! The whole concept of going to the fair was to motivate the youngsters  to move forward in their  reading skills. Who would have thought that I’ll learn a few lessons as well ! Children! what would we do  without them! J

Mother's Musings

How time has flown ! My oldest daughter was just 3 months old ,and travelled in a bassinet in a flight from our native land  to Saudi Arabia.I had gone home for my delivery and returned back to the kingdom ,with the first born who was  just a few months old. Harking back to that day, more memories of days gone by, flood my mind.

Even though she  towers over me now.I still envisage her as the  little girl who kept me on my toes all day. She would be with me where ever I went.Creeping  into the the kitchen , she would imitate me. Many times I had to hunt for the spoons and spatulas that she would take to play  and misplace them somewhere in the house.There were times I had laughed in silence at the way she played with the household items , as if they were her play mates.

And now I cannot imagine how the time had gone by. This March she will be sitting for her class 12^th, board exams and thus finish school. She’ll be entering another phase in her life.Although my husband and I would continue to encourage and guide her,  it will be her  decision in opting for what is good for her, academic wise. 

During childhood and throughout their adolescent years, we as parents, make decisions for  our children. As they pass through the  metamorphic stage, transforming into adults, they become remarkably wise  to make  their own decisions ,which would be the starting point to their future, whether academic or otherwise.Thus We have to accept and respect the choices they make. 

Another interesting incident that keeps flashing in my mind is that particular day back in 1999, when she was in the first grade and was  going to sit for her term exams for the very first time. And I being an over anxious mother advised her to pray quietly and turn to God , if she found anything difficult. And back came her answer, “that’s cheating mom” .

Recounting this to her today, she went red in the face.

A Gift For My Daughter

                               

                                               

Today my second daughter ,turned fourteen.The last two days , I was wondering what I should give her on her great day.Eventually I decided to make her a surprise gift- a hand-made card. Hence before the crack of dawn,I  quietly started working on my tools.I had already downloaded the digital card that I designed and got a print out of it..And the rest of the materials that was used in making the card was recycled stuff. Moreover,this card was better than the earlier cards I had experimented,thus  I managed to  click some photos in the process .After my task was done, I sneaked into her bedroom and placed it on her dresser .She was all smiles when she woke up and saw her surprise gift. 

                                               

And then she had more surprises at school .....

compliments from her friends.....

So sweet....

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