02 Jun At the Airport… – Short Reads # 8
At the airport, while waiting for the boarding gate to open, I went to grab a snack on a Delhi winter morning. The girl at the counter, in her 20’s, smiled and handed over my coffee and the slice of cake to my kids. While my elder one said a polite ‘Thank you’, the little one also said ‘Thank you ‘ and smiled in return. The coffee girl smiled back and gave her a Flying Kiss. My little one smiled and looked at me. The girl from across the counter again gave her a Flying kiss and asked, “No Flying kiss?” in a tone that said, ‘Are you not going to give me one?’
My little one smiled, turned to me, grabbed my leg, still smiling sheepishly, and slowly whispered, “Mumma, you said no Flying kiss to Strangers. She’s a stranger to me.” It took me a second to take-in the simplicity of her answer. I felt proud and relieved at the same time. I repeated the same words to the girl at the counter just to pass on the message. She didn’t mind or take offence; instead, she smiled again and gave a tiny nod that conveyed, “I understand”.
While I murmured a soft ‘thank you’ and walked away, it got me thinking.
Sometimes being a parent makes you do harsh things, like teaching my ‘people-loving, talking to everyone’ girl not to be so friendly and stay away from people she doesn’t know. She still smiles at random people, but only when her Dad or I am with her.
Perils of Parenting or Blessings of Life!
What is your airport story with your little one?
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