How Our Children Brought Us Up

Greetings dear reader,

American author, Roy T Bennett once remarked, "Somethings cannot be taught; they must be experienced. You never learn the most valuable lessons in life until you go through your own journey."

One of the things that falls in this category is Parenting. Call it an art or science or whatever else, none can claim to have mastered it. If you ask me, parenting is essentially a process, a journey one has to embark to not only unravel one's child but also to discover oneself. I consider myself fortunate – along with my wife, to be part of a "blessed journey - a roller-coaster ride of parenting and through it, the (ongoing) process of self-discovery."

In this semi-autobiographical book, I have tried to capture some cardinal events of our life, as parents, which not only brought us face-to-face with each other but with our own-selves too. This is not intended to be a parental manual or handbook; it is a true story of how an ordinary couple - with individual 'egos' achievements and aspirations – mustered the courage to consciously walk together the life-path as 'man & wife', overcame their 'separateness', to evolve into a 'couple' who became responsive parents – and – in the process, embraced the journey of self-discovery. 

A life story becomes uplifting if it has been lived well or, is worth living; in other words, something readers can intimately relate to; otherwise, it becomes a mental construct that may be idealistic or fantastic, even have glamorous elements, but bereft of life-force!  

With all humility, gratitude and prayer in my heart, I offer the story of my wife and me – as parents, who allowed themselves to be brought-up by their children – as much as they brought them up.

I hope it will be embraced by the readers, both parents and children alike, and in the least, set you thinking. Though I do not possess the power to urge you like Socrates did when he said, "an unexamined life is not worth living", but should this story resonate with you, dear reader, this endeavour would be worth.