happiness and food

The other day when I was listening to “Mann ki Baat” on radio while on the way to work, the only thought that struck me was that it’s spring and it’s that time of the year again. My parents are teachers and I come from a household when spring brings in hard work, hope, anxiety and the prospects of brighter and better days ahead – not just for my parents but the students they teach!

You guessed it right! Talking of March and the onset of spring, even after decades of leaving school, I imagine children sitting in school bus revising the lessons, some pedaling their way to reach as early as possible to grab a little time before the examination begins, some walking and talking with friends and trying to memorize the formulae that are the tough ones yet too important to leave out. That’s how this month is. One prepares all the year round and when this comes you wish there was a little more time to prepare.

Parents get more anxious during this time of the year. Some know that their children will do well and some wish how they can encourage theirs next year to focus more. They say, children are more relaxed than parents during examinations. At my work place, I know parents take more offs to teach and help children gear up in those last few days of preparations. When I was in school, there were friends whose parents would get the cable connection cut off during the exam time. These parents wanted to ensure that their children don’t get distracted by anything possible – there were no outings, no dinner parties, no guests – just studies and lots of practice. No one would even ask them to come to dinner table to grab a bite. It’s all delivered at the study table or to the bed on time every time.

While kids put their all in this time of the year around, something in the weather changes as well. The Sun shines brightly and strongly, the winds are warmer and no one calls from outside for a game of seven tiles, badminton or cricket. Every phone call is from a classmate who is looking for answers to a tough question on physics or mathematics or sometimes just comparing the notes from the history class. The weather at this time of the year does not really help. It makes one sleepy and lethargic. You could attribute this to the subjects, the theorems, the numericals and what not but I prefer it putting on the winds that blow from some region to some other.

The night before the first paper was all about getting the bag and the pen kit in order. I remember I would get new pens, new refills and all possible stationery. Yes, sometimes I was superstitious about the old ones that had proven their mettle during some mid-year tests or assessments but the request for new ones was never denied. The early morning alarms, the bed tea to stay awake and the clock ticking sometimes gets too hard on young minds and hearts. Children memorize the schedule by heart just because they want it to get over soon. Spring leads to summer and that’s the time for vacations and some happiness. A lot to play, no check on watching cartoon shows, the trips with family and that one big break . That’s the best time of the year but it has to go through the Spring that bring those statements – “Answer any five of the following, Read the below paragraph carefully before answering, You have 90 mins for this section and the marks for each question is the same – 5 marks.”

The most important “Mann ki Baat” is that examinations are a part of life. For children these are examinations that lead them to the next higher standard in school or competitive exams and for adults there is no end to examinations that we go through every day to keep our lives in order and at peace. This time for the year is also the Annual Review time. Whether we pass or not in any examination, what’s most important is that we give each exam our best shot and be satisfied with the efforts that were put into.

What do you think of Spring?

This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda.