Transition from boyhood to manhood

My son’s friends were over for dinner. Of the five, two are married and have a daughter each. One of the girls is two years old and the other eight months old.

The usual pre-dinner snacks were curated and punctuated with chit chat, leg pulling and baby talk. There was an awkwardness about the bachelor boys as they faked interest in the children.

All through the growing up years of my boys, their birthdays, especially at our home, have been about cricket, cricket and more cricket. But that was years ago. As we served dinner and asked them to come to the dining room, I noticed that the father of the eight-month-old was bottle-feeding her and said, “Aunty, I’ll eat in a while, just let the baby finish her milk.” At the other end of the room, the mother of the two-year-old fed the toddler before she ate.

For me, the boys had suddenly grown up, almost overnight. I could still see them in their cricket helmets and leg pads, wielding the bat and vying for a four or a six. I could hear them shouting at each other while fielding the ball and running between the wickets. The elation of winning the toss, the thrill of taking a catch, the euphoria of hedging a four, the cheering and the camaraderie. My reverie was interrupted by the crying of a baby.

I offered to hold the baby while the father ate and was touched to see his wife hurry through dinner to take the baby from me.

Much as I miss the young men’s cricket parties, I’m happy to see them grow into much married men and responsible fathers. Life is always in transition. Babyhood gives way adolescence and youth and further to adulthood.

Young parents make so many sacrifices to bring up their offspring. Sometimes, I hear youngsters saying that they don’t want to marry for want of losing their independence. Didn’t their parents give up their independence and give birth to them? Didn’t their parents spend sleepless nights and tiring days to bring them up? Some things are just to be done because God wants them to be so. It is only through procreation that creation can be sustained.

At times, one hears of DINK (dual income no kids) couples in our career-minded new generation. I am not against working women, but I feel happy when I see a young woman taking out time to care for her babies.

Each one of us has different circumstances in life and one can’t be compared with the other. One has to consider physical, emotional, financial, medical, and circumstantial aspects too.bBut if one is lucky enough to be able to care for one’s baby, please do so. The best side of a woman’s personality unfolds when she becomes a mother.

Parenthood is precious. It may be tiring and taxing no doubt, but later in life when one sees children blossom, it dawns on one that each moment spent has been well worth it.

MUCH AS I MISS THE YOUNG MEN’S CRICKET PARTIES, I WAS HAPPY TO SEE THEM GROW INTO MUCH MARRIED MEN AND RESPONSIBLE FATHERS. LIFE IS ALWAYS IN TRANSITION