Yesterday evening, I was working on something. Advay, my 8 year old came by and without giving a damn about the fact that I was occupied with something, he started telling me something and demanded that I pay attention to him. I was super-pissed. In a angry tone I said – “Please give me some time. Don’t you see I am working? Go away. I am busy now. I cant listen to you now.”
Advay stood there silent for a few seconds. He did not react. He just turned away and left me alone.
After he left, I spent a few more minutes feeling guilty about my behaviour. I told myself that I will make up with him later and continued my work. I finished what I was working on and closed the laptop lid. Before even I could get up, my son tapped on my shoulder from behind.
I turned back, surprised and asked him: “What is it?”
He said: “I noticed that you closed your laptop lid. So, I assumed that you will be free now.”
I said: “Yes, I am done with my work.” Interestingly, I had forgotten all about my bad behaviour with him by then.
He said: “Ok, let me tell you what I wanted to tell back then.”
And he went ahead told me his story. Something about him, his friend, the play in the evening, something happened there and so on. There was a joke that really cracked him, which I just couldn’t understand.He spent a gala 20 minutes with me. Then he left for doing something else.
He did not make me wrong, did not make me guilty. He left me with a feeling that he understood that I was busy before, which is why I couldn’t listen to him. He also ensured that he shared with me whatever he wanted to share with me and moved on to something else.
He demonstrated his power to create people however he wants, rather than however circumstances lead him to. I feel inspired to practice that.