We just had Halloween, and this time around in our city also there were many Halloween Events. With School having celebrations and our community hosting a trick and treat event, children were high on candies and parents were low with unending chores that started from Dussera to Diwali to Halloween. I mean, seriously we have enough and more of Indian festivals already, do we really need some more and that too one where Parents have to scratch their non existing creativity (yours truly) and that too in making horrid looking costumes and makeup which cant be repeated. Means come on, the Dussera dress gets repeated in the school cultural event, which then gets repeated in the puja at home, which then gets repeated for dinner at that uncle's house, before it is kept folded for the younger sibling to follow the above. But where do I repeat horrid looking vampire dresses, which after getting inside the darling boy refuses to go out in!
Anyways, the other day I went to the supermarket and a lady was asking where is Zuccini. The man sheepishly showed her plastic wrapped, extremely clean, polished zuccini. 4 for the price of 450. A man sitting outside was selling Sitaphal(custard apple) 6 for the price of 100. She bargained, admonished, tried walking away and then took for some lower price. When he took out a plastic bag she shouted, "You guys are not bothered about the environment at all!" The man visibly embarrassed said "Please bring your own bag next time." I WONDERED The exotic Zuccini, wrapped in plastic sold at exorbitant price, not in grown is how much environment friendly for our country? But well when have we had sense before we copy and forward wasapp messages anyways.
Last week I saw 3 different patients. One child brought from an orphanage 2 months old, angelic baby. She was abandoned in front of a government hospital bin. Her nose all nibbled by mice, before the hospital rescued her. She has battled severe neurologic problems already and now has come to me with cataract in the eye. Another child, 5yrs old, lost his mother who died of childbirth during his younger siblings labour. Father abandoned these 2 and got married again. The maternal aunt who has adopted lost her 30yr old husband to severe alcoholism and has 2 children of her own. With an income of 5000 Indian rupees she takes care of these 4 and her mother. The 3rd child is a horrid story. This one is 40 yr old(but looks like 20) she was inflicted with Polio as a child and thinking that as a handicap was severely neglected. No education or social life. She battled with severe psychiatric illness all alone and all her mother did was beat her up and keep her in the house where she cleaned and cooked. She has not stepped out of the house since 6 years(yes you read it right) and her teeth and broken and severely decayed. She is extremely malnourished and due to that has developed bilateral mature cataracts at such a young age. When she is now not useful for the mother, she has dragged her to the hospital to get operated.
Poverty, uneducation and lack of opportunities I understand, but I dont understand the lack of love, empathy and humanity. When we have some parents struggling to become one due to rising rates of infertility, where is this other breed of parenting coming from.
It's time we teach in schools not Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Biology only but Love and Parenting. It's time at homes we dont go about our chores like just another To Do list but live by example and keep Love and Empathy for others at the core of what all we do.
So for now, I am ready to run my ring, wear my Cape, get off my glasses and Don my Saree( my super hero dress) as I step yet out of the house as a Pediatric Ophthalmologist and Adult squint specialist and come back to the home with the healing and healed power intact!
