Long Walks On Leafy Streets

10/17/2015 Rachel Carson Refuge, Wells, ME
We have so many expectations for our children. When I look at Prashant I sometimes hope that he will be a force for good in the world. I hope that he will learn both of our traditions well. At other times I wish for him to be good at sports. But those are all just idle thoughts, mere fantasies. When I think about it, I realize that I have no right to expect anything from him. He didn’t ask to be brought in to this world. We made a decision to give birth to him. He is God’s gift to us. All we should think about is how can we care for him the best we can, and how can we make him happy. So it has been my prayer and hope since even before he was born that he should be healthy and happy. Maybe I will add to it a pet desire for him to be tall as well. Six feet would be good. I have heard that tall men have better opportunities in life and that generally things are easier for them.
Speaking more seriously, what exactly are our duties and obligations to our children? I was thinking about this while running, this morning. Although his happiness and health are paramount, I do think we have a duty to prepare them to be good citizens of the world. He has to live in this world in harmony with other living beings. If he grows up to be someone who cares about the world and actively helps others, that would be great. But at the very least he should not cause harm to the earth and his fellow travelers.
It is getting colder and colder outside, here in the DC area. Once I got going, though, the body warmed up and it didn’t feel so cold. I still run in my shorts and T-shirt. I usually wait until it gets below 50 degrees F before I start wearing more layers. The leaves have turned orange and red, almost without my noticing it. I can tell the trees on the street from the leaves in front of my feet. Mostly oak trees in our area. I ran up and down Kansas Ave, on the bike path. I run on this road when I am too tired to run on the hilly streets of Takoma Park. The past week was absolutely one of the most hectic in my life. Just when I thought I could not work any harder with less sleep I had to do just that. Amid the duties at work and home we also had to deal with Prashant developing a stomach problem. But I am glad to say that everything is back to normal now. We are learning to live according to his schedule and also getting adjusted to the new level of intensity of work at the same time as we get less sleep.

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