Ever since Angel was young, we play this game. I sternly take
her name and when she acknowledges, I say I love you and we have a hearty laugh
after that. And she does the same, shouts and calls me from another room and
when I go, she says I love you mamma!
It’s quite a westernized concept saying I love you aloud to
your children and I love it. I don't remember my parents saying it aloud to us,
it is like air. Just like the way we know that it exists, we know that they
love us. But good words never hurt and it’s always pleasing to the ears.
So one day while doing the same, I asked her “why do you
think I love you, baby?” Her exact words
were “kyunki main good behavior karti hu”. I was shocked as I never wanted to
give that message to her. Maybe I said I love you to her only when she was
behaving nicely. So we sat I explained to her that I love you because you are
my child and no matter what happens, I love you. Even if you behave badly,
nicely, naughtily, I always love you. I want her to understand that she can
come to us no matter what the situation is. I want her to know that there is
one place in the whole world where she will always be wanted and loved.
Now we have started saying “I love you, no matter what” to
each other and at times we revise the meaning of this phrase. Gradually, we have
got a hang of it. So a few days back when I was scolding her, she stopped me
and asked, “Do you still love me, while you are scolding me?” When I replied in
affirmative, there was a wide grin on her face and she said, “ok, continue
scolding.” :P
Again after a few days, I asked her, why do I love you and
she replied, “Because I am your baby.”
Mission accomplished!
