My darling Pari,

You are in one of those magical growing up moments where you’re getting more and more vocal by the minute. You try to imitate my lip movements no-matter what I am saying to you. It’s funny how you and I lip the same way yet sound poles apart. I absolutely love your dialect, so what if I don’t follow a single word of what you say. I love the sweet smiles you generously spread with each successful attempt of rounding off your lips just as I do.

From attempts at a few words here and there in the past few weeks, you are now able to sing along with me. We sound like jugalbandi singers singing away our heart, no-matter what hour of the day or even night it is. In the past one week we’ve been singing aloud (yeah, you sometimes get so excited that you can be heard loud and clear by our neighbors) even at 2 a.m. I absolutely love your attempts to sing lullabies for me when I get drowsy.

Your excited babble keeps me smiling all day long. I love the sweet way you watch me type on my laptop waiting patiently when I’ll put it down and get talking to you. When I take longer than five minutes in giving you my full attention, I can hear you complaining with a gentle smile and expectant eyes. The complaining gets louder by the second if the laptop isn’t shut that very instant.

The sweet way naughtiness shines in your eyes, the excitement with which you babble and follow me with your eyes everywhere I go pump in me hope, strength and renewed energy that says to me that I have so much in life to live for.

Keep smiling and singing my sweetheart for you are the music of life for my bruised soul. You are the balm for my aching heart.

Love and blessings

Mum

The song we sing along all the time: