When I was a kid

When I was a kid,

I saw my mom giving 3 chapatis, every morning,

1 to a crow, 1 to a dog, and 1 to a cow.

Do I need any other lessons on loving animals?

My mom made me find places where ants had colonies,

And feed them raw rice, once every week at least,

And made me walk with an eye for these places, so as to avoid trampling on them,

Do I need any more lessons on caring for even the smallest?

(visibly weakest, though ant is a stronger life than humans).

When I was a kid,

I used to go with my dad, once every week,

To feed a big family of monkeys in a nearby forest,

Do I need any more lessons on being compassionate?

I saw my father,

Considering all our relatives as his extended family, caring for them,

Even those with whom there were some disagreements,

Do I need any other lessons on complete acceptance (and patience)?

When I was a kid,

I played in the kitchen garden with the soil, guided by my grandpa,

Who loved his plants like they were his kids,

Do I need any more lessons that I am a part of nature?

Whenever my grandpa was bathing,

He chanted aloud the names of all the rivers of India,

Even the ones he had never seen himself,

Do I need any more lessons in taking care of our sources of water (and hence, sources of life)?

When I was a kid, I saw my grandma,

Whenever she traveled in public transport,

She used to take a bath and wash her clothes, first thing after coming home,

Do I need any more lessons on hygiene that we need so much more now?

When I was a kid, our house was being constructed,

My Mom (a conservative/traditional dharmic devotee) made and served food every day,

To all the workers of the project, including the main mason,

Who was, in many ways, the architect of our home, and followed a different faith,

Do I need any more lessons on respecting everyone regardless of their faith?

During the entire childhood, my family hosted so many lunches,

Either on some auspicious day, or remembering some ancestor,

Where along with our relatives, we hosted those who couldn't feed themselves, from all castes and genders,

Do I need any more lessons, on acknowledging the entire human race as a family?

Yes, I still need reminders sometimes,

I sometime may forget these lessons, temporarily,

And now that I am a father, I hope,

My daughter also sees some of these 'actions' which I saw when I was a kid.

I understand now: my family gave me so much to carry on,

Where the lessons were experience-based, and taught via actions,

And even though we need words to keep reminding ourselves,

Actions speak louder than words!