What i have learnt from teenagers

WE learn more from them than they do from us!
Its ok to be a cool mom, but its not ok to let their friends know it!
Its not ok to wear cool clothes, its not even ok to look like a "desi bhenji" Go figure the balance yourself.
Its not ok to stress on extra curriculars, its ok to take the blame for not doing so later.
Its ok to let them be, its not ok to reel them in.
Its ok to let them have late nights, its not ok to do so yourselves and leave them "alone and helpless" at home.
You better move your butt when they need something, its ok for them to move slow (or not move at all) if we need something.
We are outdated and its ok to accept it, its not ok for them to accept that they are moving too fast.
Its not ok to give sex ed, but you better have answers when they throw random questions at you.
Your music is not ok. theirs is terrific, the best, the mostest, awesome - you get the gist?
 Their life is their own, yours is a "fevicol ka jod " with them.

 There is this one thing I learn't which was a tremendous lesson.
Kanak made a few new friends in her IB school, and slowly I was allowed to meet them. The first instance this one girl met me (I shall name her V, so that by the time I end this, you people will not lagao her "nazar") - so - this girl met me and she came up to me (for all she knew, i could have been a horrrible ass ) but she came up to me all smiles and hugged me. It was not a kiss in the air type of socialite hug. It was a "full on" rib crushing - hold on to u- love u- hug!
Now I have been a rather touch me not kind of person (with most people), so I was very taken aback! But courtesy demanded I hug back, and slowlyI felt the warmth of the hug spread to my heart and warm my soul. Then - I wanted to hug and hold on longer than she would.(on this account i must add that another of Kanak's friend is a big hugger too. she envelopes you in a cloud of love and leaves your heart lighter and you more loved. she is "N")
There is so much formality in our community, in laws dont hug their daughters in law, or their sons in law for that matter. I remember hugging my grand mother in law and she too was taken aback, but  I could see her grin and I knew that she felt special. Some point I hugged my aunt in law, and I actually felt rebuffed. Like I hit a wall, on a speeding cycle. For a while I was hurt, until a very dear friend (another V) told me that its ok. Some people cannot handle affection, but that does not mean we stop dispersing it.
I know hug randomly freely, lovingly and fiercely. Everybody. Whether I like that person or not. And I dont like too many people. But that one hug sets the soul free, opens up hidden love, frees ansgt, and makes the person happy, even it it's for a day.
And the one person whose hugs I really look forward to are "V's and N'ss the girls who set a closed part of my spirits flying.

Sounds

 I was taking a nap (the most important part of my day) and woke up hearing really wierd noises. Something like twinges, growls and pings. When i found out what it was, i could not help but go back to my childhood. We lived in this sprawling compound full of coconut trees swishing and swaying in the breeze. The sounds from my childhood are shouts from us kids, running to catch a "chor", blowing the whistle if one was a "ploice", the bang of a "dabba" when it was thrown for dabba aispice (no not wrong spelling, thats how we pronounced it). Sometimes when we were not feeling that boisterous and rampageous, we would sit around telling stories. Mostly scary ones, involving murderous vengeful ghosts. and i remember at one such time, the wind was playing noise effects, swaying and wooing like a banshee, keeping tune with the scary story, and one branch (technically a leaf ) from a really tall palm tree, fell zooming down and hit me smack, right on my thigh. Since it was the high point of the scary story and we were all going oooh and aahh with round eyes and tingling ears, and I lept up in pain and fear and the others in total alarm.i think the younger ones scampered straight off till they reached their homes.
Compared to our childhood sounds, I got up hearing my son's childhood sounds. Pings and shouts of "die" and virtual football screams. Nope! i am not complainging or bemoaning the fact that our childhood was better than theirs. I am only comparing sounds.
I dont know about others, but i love the sound of "hugs". There are so many different types of hugs, tight ones, loving ones, mom to baby ones, consolatory ones, passionate, the"i have yet not forgiven u" hug! and each of them have a sound. Soft gentle sounds which make u feel good and make your heart beat warm, passionate ones which make your blood run, loving ones which calm you down. They all have sounds, soft, squishy, crunchy, delightful sounds.
I cannot talk about sounds and not talk about Oreo, our beagle pup. He rushes to you like a bullet, leaps up and starts thrusting his tongue out in a lusty rush to lick your face. And the sounds he emits while doing so are hilarious. Moans, groans and insistent mutters.
Kanak once wrote- "silence is a sound". It was too profound. and i realise this when the electricity fails and we are left with no lights, not fans and a stillness which translate to a sound. it buzzes in our ear.
Sounds are our inner peace and agitation.