Envy, Every Moment

As a child, I envied seeing adults-

They had no school, no tests, and no exams; no tension at all;

As a teenager, I envied my seniors who were out of college,

Employed and happily married

For I was confused about my career and my future

And stressed out about my exams and performance; 

As a mother of my children,

When I had to miss many meals and a lot of sleep,

Worry a lot when they fell sick or hurt themselves,

Worry about the schools that they had to go,

Sulk forever for missing all the moments of their growth as an employed mother,

I envied all the mothers at home

Who could enjoy every moment of their child’s growth;

When my children finally started schooling, 

And I had to hard-heartedly drop them off in the school

And my heart bled thinking of their pathetic cries, the whole day

I envied all the mothers who had middle-school-going children;

When my children entered middle-school

And I realised that making them do something that they did not like

Was just next to impossible

And every test, exam, project, and contest in school was challenging,

I envied mothers who had grown up children

About whom they need not bother to monitor every minute;

When my children grew up and flew out of my home



I envied all mothers, who never faced the empty nest syndrome;

When my children are now settled with their families

I envy all mothers, who are lucky to be living with their children;

Now I envy all those people who have learnt the art 

Of loving the present and live in the present!