“Do not ask your children to strive for extraordinary lives.

Kids
I read this quote or rather poem. Before I talk about what I think, read this first. 

“Do not ask your children
to strive for extraordinary lives.
Such striving may seem admirable,
but it is the way of foolishness.
Help them instead to find the wonder
and the marvel of an ordinary life.
Show them the joy of tasting
tomatoes, apples and pears.
Show them how to cry
when pets and people die.
Show them the infinite pleasure
in the touch of a hand.
And make the ordinary come alive for them.
The extraordinary will take care of itself.”

William Martin

Small ordinary things are indeed important. Like cooking together. We have fun. Like how we cook the 10-12 course meal during Christmas. Small thing no? All 3 of us in the kitchen. Singing sometimes. Talking all the time. Teasing and laughing. Working our way through the menu. And that's an ordinary thing. And that's what makes it fun. Ordinary things. 

We've got to admire small things. I've noticed that since I've started photography, my eye for detail has changed. I look for interesting things in the simple aspects of life. On Thursday morning, was walking to the tube station and saw this little branch sticking out with little droplets along the branch. And it really brightened up my day. Take a look at the picture on Instagram. So yes. Do enjoy the little things in life. 

But I disagree about the extraordinary things kids. Totally. One can do both. One can aim at the stars. One can aim to do massive things. One can aim to live 5 lives in one life. One can aim to do things which others can't or wouldn't do. Teach. Do charity. Look after sick animals. Read up a storm. Make a difference to the world. Passion. Kids. Passion. Have a passion for life. Huge huge passion. So much that you feel like you will explode from the pressure inside you. You have to feel frustrated with your limitations and only then will you exceed them. 

The counterpart to the above quote is 'the heights of great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight. But they while their compatriots slept, were toiling upwards in the night'. Extraordinary things don't happen just like that. You've got to work bloody hard and have extraordinary passion and dedication for it. 

I'm proud of both of you. How kannu studies hard and is a good friend and how he reads and listens and saves and invests and and and. He's doing well. So is Diya. Your attention to detail, your intelligence, your artistic abilities, your math skills, your reading and your cuddling. All are perfect conditions for you to love the small ordinary things but also to achieve extraordinary things. 

Love

Baba