What do I really expect from any given year? How do I usually approach a year? Do I go in asking for / expecting something? I don’t usually make resolutions because I am rubbish at keeping them- so what does a new year mean for me? And, what’s special about 2020 that I should seek out something different? Well, I don’t know. I could give a beauty pageant type of answer and say,
“Oh, I expect world peace, the removal of poverty, happiness for all… and oh yes, a million dollars for me.”
Or as a parent, I could just say that in 2020, I finally expect:
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My toddler to grow up and behave like an adult
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To not throw tantrums
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To make up his mind and stick with it
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To learn to clear up his toys
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To develop her teeth already so she can start eating
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And maybe sleeping as well, so we could all just go back to having a normal schedule!
But of course, all of that is not going to happen in the next 365 days…hell, it may not happen in the 365 after that either! If it did, and if we could all just have our years turn out as we wished and wanted, wouldn’t life just be perfect?
Alas! But it’s not so. And all kidding aside, I wouldn’t even want it so.
The beauty of life and of being a parent is that it is all so unpredictable and that you never know what’s coming next. You just have to learn to deal with it as it comes.
And so, what I REALLY expect or want from 2020 as a parent is the following:
For my kids to generally just be happy- to continue to be kids and show all the emotions, feelings and honesty that comes with being a kid. In a world that moves fast, that is growing more complex and (dare I say) devious by the day, I want my kids to retain these traits for as long as they can. If they are angry, I want them to display the anger; if they don’t like something, I want them to let me know so – even if I don’t particularly agree…because I know that unbridled honesty is something I won’t find elsewhere.
I want the love and affection that I have seen from these two little ones to only continue and if anything, to grow I have to say, having the kids has only made our family ties stronger and the happiness quotient in our household higher over the last couple of years (Mushy, mushy, I know). But, getting those tight hugs when I returned home from work, or those early morning cuddles from Kian just made my day…likewise, watching the sparkle in Trisha’s eyes when I just said “Hiiiiii”, made it all worthwhile. It made me appreciate what being a parent and what a family is all about. I want them to continue to share that love and affection with us, but also with each other…and for them to understand the importance of the family ties and bonds we have… to value it as they grow older.
Of course, I want them to grow and develop too. It has been incredible to watch Kian through his early years – his ability to learn, to observe and to interact. How he has adjusted to various situations and how he has adapted to his life at school, with new friends (or classmates, as he reminds me). It has likewise been amazing to watch Trisha in her first few months follow in her brother’s footsteps. I want them to continue to show that eagerness, that curiosity and that growth in this year ahead too.
2019, for obvious reasons, was not a year of a lot of travel for us. But I want 2020 to be the year where we travel a lot more as a family; where we see new places, explore new cultures and widen our horizons and enrich minds together as a family. I want us to continue to build those ties and share those experiences this year ahead.
But probably most importantly, what I want from 2020 is for my kids never to grow up (because I know from personal experience what comes next…)!
Rohan Vyavaharkar
Harshita Pande
Janani S Koushik
KSP Team
