Suchika Mehra
Struggles, problems, irritation, disappointment, sadness are as much part of one’s life as are harmony, solutions, pleasure, contentment, and joy. These are the two wheels of the same cart, called ‘life.’ Every person experiences these emotions at different junctures in their lives. However, our general outlook & reaction decides which of these emotions stay for a more extended period. As the famous quote goes – Everyday two bulls fight in every person’s mind – Positivity and Negativity. Do you know which one wins? The one, which we feed the most!
Pertinent is the fact that problems or struggles rarely come announced. They don’t knock and seek our permission before entering our lives. More so, it always seems that they have appeared all of a sudden, and so-many at one go. Like popcorns, they keep popping one after the other, and we start to feel overwhelmed – Will they ever end? Do they know how to put a full stop? We start questioning ourselves – Why on earth – I? What did I do? Everything has gone for a toss!!! Alas!
However, that’s what life is all about – juggling these ups & downs while striving to create a balance…
Every family has its own culture, own set of problems, and their own ways of managing them. However, one question, which remains uniform across all families, is – Should I share my struggles with my children?
The moment we start thinking about it, many associated questions begin to haunt us – Is he too small to be involved? Would it be too much for him? Does it even matter if he knows? Would he be able to understand or get something out of it? Am I selfish? What would be a takeaway for him? Do I want to use him as a soundboard for my problem(s)?
We continue to stay in this trap, and the question remains as is – Should I or Shouldn’t I?
To me, the answer to this question is a resounding YES!! However, what, how, and how much to share is something that would vary from case-to-case!
