My Mud Toed Princess

 The decision was mine! I had paid two hoots to those monstrous mocking  eyes of neighbours tracking me, as my little 22 months plus girl splashed her legs in the muddy rain water flowing across the street of the residential area of Manipal. If, being clean clothed, running around best smelling cosmos garden chasing a butterfly was "nice", fancying the nature's beauty in "ugly form" wasn't a crime. That toddler, today, growing into pre-adolescent times has been maintaining her crown, being "grubby legged". Rains are just one form, that cant withhold her massive love to one the beautiful forms of nature.

One day long ago it was, with heavy down pour, as I stuck to the windows of our house with the little girl, there was an enchanting resonance of melodious mixture of sounds. Aura engulfed by occasional mixing of the sounds of the little one gurgling in thrill and that of water drop off coconut leaves. She had grown talking to the birds in the air, apart from spending few hours with the high end toys. Growing into a toddler she often placed herself in the balcony, throwing pieces of food at the wandering crows or other birds. While I was ridiculed by few why I could not use the baby walker but leave the toddler struggling on the lawn, I mused how one could not enjoy the little child watch a small ant take its tiny steps, with strict concentration or notice the different shades of green  by ones self. I was self flattered by how "I" wanted to bring her up. How her bonding with the nature mattered in the times of plastic world that I term to the numerous options of electronics or other gadgets handled even by toddlers.

Treat the little one a best princess way, fathom all branded toys, luxuries, food and stuff. The wings of "plastic joys" makes the colourful life. Protecting her from experiencing nature's playful wings would however be a crime. Nature's wings completes the education. The idea of letting her  secret freedom watching the birds chirp, discover a colourful butterfly in the garden, chasing a big fat cat,  study an creepy crawler or an ant in the sands, or waft away on the calm bouncing waves of the sea, always meant the best games to me.



There are few from many instances to recall. Those of her "Lost-adventures". Prompt encouraging by we parents, my little savoured the nature in very best and at times vanished from my supervisory view!

An 8 months old crawling  baby as she was, all engrossed with tiny sand play-set, in a crowded sea shore. A small gossip as I ended with my counter part, and looked around, the crawling baby was out on a date with the crowd. A instant shocked me, stood up tall and to my relief found the little one held high up in the air by a man shouting " whose baby is this?". I smiled finally. I concluded it was those small white sand crabs playing hide and seek with her in between the sand that dragged her away from us.

Another incident to recall is the one, when at age 5, she dared to sneak out of her play area with cutlery play set, and settle down briefly with a friend making mud pie and sand water juice. One would go aghast, though I had to throw out the frustration, concern and worry with a stern warning, I ended up laughing and reminding her "you mud toed princess" you aren't going to mend your ways, are you!

Most enduring educative toys, the best branded toys and so on were indeed showered on her. An comfort level would however find her settling down with those sea shells collected in a small cup with few broken, some green leaves from the garden along with few flowers and stuff in a "kitchen play set" with left over juice too to play with! What can be more educative than nature itself. How would she otherwise find the beauty of a butterfly and about the life and habits of natural habitats, greens, learn about the seasons better than experiencing over reading about it in beautifully coloured books.  She could even find sun shine delicious!

Times from her toddler-hood till those pre adolescent ones, time and again I catch her mud toed. The journey has been of playing out under the roof of the sky.....

www.kissan.in

Little instances of the child jotted here, little encounters of her with mother nature do add up as those flourishing memories to a parent. In a parallel, those little encounters  teach lessons to both. There is a child all who respects, understands and loves nature to fullest. An ordinary advice in our earthly existence is to remind ourselves, stay blessed with the best of nature and encourage the hymn of it in children from young age.  Let them free with the nature, who knows there is an inventor in one little mind perhaps!



Read somewhere that -"Earth laughs in the flowers".

I say - Lets laugh with those flowers and greens on the earth. Love nature, save earth and love yourself.

This post is dedicated to the best friend - Friend's of Nature..... > www.kissan.in

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