Can we give eternal gifts to children?

I wrote this poem about 4 years ago during a vacation to Udaipur in Rajasthan (India). Gifts for children are always associated with excitement, surprise, adventure and fun. I have often contemplated about the nature of these gifts...can they have a deeper meaning for our children, for example. This lead me to collate this brief poem which I intend to share today.

‘A Gift for my Son’

I want to gift my son………

A canvas to paint his dreams

A pen to write his diary

A camera to click his perspective

A racket to develop sportsman spirit

A rucksack to explore the mystery of the hills

A book to experience true companionship

A football to discover the joy of skillfully dribbling past opponents

A pair of skates to master the art of balance

A bicycle to ride through the maze without falling

A mountaineering kit to learn how to take calculated risks

A seed to nurture, and experience the ‘law of the harvest’

My time, so that he knows me more than I knew my father

My trustworthiness, so he knows I am there when he needs me most

My patience, so that when he under performs, I can sit with him and take stock

And chalk out a strategy for improvement in consultation with him

I hope these gifts open out the world for him under the sun

He is such a cute little kid, my son.