Our house has a big main central staircase.
From our hall, the staircase with 12 steps takes us up to a landing. The Landing has two doors. One opens into my dads room and the other into my gym. The staircase then turns and continues upwards for another 5 steps. This second landing leads to a long corridor which connects our library, my son Aryan's (aged 15) room, my daughter Namrata's (aged 20) room and my room (quite old)
My room is at the far end of the corridor, So every time I go back and forth from my room, I pass all the other bedrooms on the way.
Last night , I was going up the staircase after dinner with aryan in tow. He was just a step behind me and keeping pace. Although I was climbing up at a brisk pace, I wondered if I was slowing him down and so at the first landing, outside my dad's room, I paused to see if he wanted to run up past me. I stopped and gave him some space.
And suddenly, I missed my father a lot.
In the later years of his life, my father used to climb up the staircase one step at a time. He wasn't in pain or discomfort. It was simply old age. His feet had lost their ability to sense touch and so he used the strength of his knees and calves to climb up while being unable to sense the staircase with his feet.
So after dinner, very often, when he and I were going upstairs to our respective rooms, I used to either go ahead of him or if he started up the stairs first, I'd wait for him to reach his room.
I didn't want to rush him by being right behind him.
So last night , I paused at the landing and gave Aryan some space to carry on.
Aryan seemed completely unaware even of the fact that I gave him space. So I continued up and he followed me.
And I wonder when the day will come when I do slow him down. I'm sure the day will come but yesterday wasn't that day.
My dad stayed with me long enough to ensure that I became independent and settled in life. I hope I can do the same for my children.
The Comrades marathon registrations opened up on the 1st of September and I intend to register for the 88k Up run which will take place in 2017. I hope that I can follow that with Down run in 2018 and then the Up in 2019 and then the Down run in 2020 and then Up run in 2021 and hopefully that will bring me to 10 Comrades finishes. At which point I might as well run my 11th Comrades with a green number bib.
As Aryan grows stronger with each passing day my prayer is that I can stay abreast with my boy on the staircase, at least until 2022.
And then, although I hope I keep running, I won't mind if he starts racing up the staircase past me.
From our hall, the staircase with 12 steps takes us up to a landing. The Landing has two doors. One opens into my dads room and the other into my gym. The staircase then turns and continues upwards for another 5 steps. This second landing leads to a long corridor which connects our library, my son Aryan's (aged 15) room, my daughter Namrata's (aged 20) room and my room (quite old)
My room is at the far end of the corridor, So every time I go back and forth from my room, I pass all the other bedrooms on the way.
Last night , I was going up the staircase after dinner with aryan in tow. He was just a step behind me and keeping pace. Although I was climbing up at a brisk pace, I wondered if I was slowing him down and so at the first landing, outside my dad's room, I paused to see if he wanted to run up past me. I stopped and gave him some space.
And suddenly, I missed my father a lot.
In the later years of his life, my father used to climb up the staircase one step at a time. He wasn't in pain or discomfort. It was simply old age. His feet had lost their ability to sense touch and so he used the strength of his knees and calves to climb up while being unable to sense the staircase with his feet.
So after dinner, very often, when he and I were going upstairs to our respective rooms, I used to either go ahead of him or if he started up the stairs first, I'd wait for him to reach his room.
I didn't want to rush him by being right behind him.
So last night , I paused at the landing and gave Aryan some space to carry on.
Aryan seemed completely unaware even of the fact that I gave him space. So I continued up and he followed me.
And I wonder when the day will come when I do slow him down. I'm sure the day will come but yesterday wasn't that day.
My dad stayed with me long enough to ensure that I became independent and settled in life. I hope I can do the same for my children.
The Comrades marathon registrations opened up on the 1st of September and I intend to register for the 88k Up run which will take place in 2017. I hope that I can follow that with Down run in 2018 and then the Up in 2019 and then the Down run in 2020 and then Up run in 2021 and hopefully that will bring me to 10 Comrades finishes. At which point I might as well run my 11th Comrades with a green number bib.
As Aryan grows stronger with each passing day my prayer is that I can stay abreast with my boy on the staircase, at least until 2022.
And then, although I hope I keep running, I won't mind if he starts racing up the staircase past me.
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