Forever Grateful Mom

So many messages circulating on WhatsApp, about child robbers, kidnappers, and dangerous people with potential to harm our kids. The first few of them instilled such a dread in my heart – as I am sure they did in the heart of every mom and dad. As these messages continued to inundate, the fear started changing to something else ….. Paranoia? Obsession? And suddenly, I realized what was happening to me; I was looking at every other person as a potential threat to my children, and falling into the trap of being a Permanently Suspicious Mom.

That is when I decided to stop right there. Stop and look around me, look around at the world I live in, that I am raising my kids in. Is it really filled with so much danger, that I cant have a moment of peace, that I cant let my child go out of my sight without worrying about all the dangers that can befall upon him? Or her?

And this is what I found when I looked around at this world:

• For every kidnapper standing outside the school gates, there are several concerned didis, maushis and security personnel ensuring my child is safely delivered to me.
• For every molesting bus cleaner, there are scores of others who lovingly ferry children to and fro every day.
• For every stranger eyeing my child with bad intentions, there are guardian angels in the form of friends, relatives, teachers, sometimes pure strangers protecting not just my child, but humanity itself!

I don’t mean to sound complacent and smug. There is a very real danger and threat that our children today face in the outside world. Of course there are kidnappers and abusers and molesters, many of them getting fearless by the day. As parents, we must to more than our best to protect our children from such evil minded and evil intentioned people. And yet …… this should not blind us to the presence of goodness in the world. Let us stop and appreciate all the good people who share space with us – in our families, in our children’s schools, on the roads. Everywhere. Let us give gratitude, every passing day, for all the good people that touched our child’s life today. For while it is true that crimes against children are increasing by the day, it is thankfully equally true, that goodness still abounds as well! While remaining alert and aware to the dangers in the world, let us also acknowledge the good, and appreciate the good people do, which sadly, goes unacknowledged in today’s world.

I have decided to convert myself, from a Permanently Suspicious Mom to a Forever Grateful Mom. I have made a promise to wake up every morning sending up an affirmation for my children’s well-being and safety, and thanking the Universe and all its beings for helping me keep my children safe. Every night, I go to bed acknowledging and appreciating every person who shared space with my children and ensured their well-being in whichever capacity they could.

For yes, I do believe that despite all the bad things happening, the world is still a beautiful place! And that’s the belief and feeling I want my children to grow up with.