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Celebrating the Essence of Childhood

Rabindranath Tagore has beautifully said that, “Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of man.”  Indeed, children are divine gifts that parents get from the Almighty God.  There is so much of happiness and love the newborns bring in the family.  The birth of a child in the family is a joyous occasion that everyone excitedly looks forward to with much anticipation.  The moment a child is born, the child becomes the focus of each and every person in the family.  A child is the most beautiful and most precious gift welcomed by the whole family with lots of enthusiasm. The joy in the family is beyond measure.  There is celebration in the family.  This only depicts that our children are adorable. Their eyes are full of innocence which signifies nothing but purity and manifestation of God’s love, who in His wisdom so carefully and wonderfully creates unique individuals.

It is said that the childhood is the most beautiful of all life’s seasons; the best phase of one’s life.  The Joy of Childhood is always a great remembrance.  There are no grudges, no secrets to be kept; there is just the happiness, living every moment joyfully for the little angels.  Childhood memories are sweetest of all which can be savored for a lifetime.  Childhood has a great significance in the making of an adult.  Therefore, the Children’s Day is very important event not only for children but also for parents and teachers as this is the day to celebrate the spirit of childhood and to remind ourselves that our children need to be loved and cared for. This day is the birthday of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of independent India.  He was a great leader who was keen about welfare, education and development of children in India.  Even though he was very senior in stature, he was fond of children and became popular as Chacha Nehru amongst them.

Children are the most valuable resource; they are the future of our society. Childhood is the foundation of life as the values and discipline learned as a child remains for a lifetime.  India has been blessed with over 193 million children in the age group of 6 to 14 years and out of which at least 35 million children do not attend school.  Being the youngest country in the whole world, we need to treasure our children and provide them with opportunities and an environment to go to school and grow into persons they truly deserve to be and that every child has cherishing memories of their school life to live by.  If every child in our country is nurtured with great care, our nation will be at the forefront in all spheres in the world.  Children are vulnerable and need to be loved and cared for.  If our children are weak, then the future of our society will be weak.  In this context, the former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela has aptly said, “Safety and security don’t just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment.  We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear.”  On one hand Children’s Day celebration is fun but on the other hand the parents and society must understand that it is the day to reaffirm that children have the right to live their childhood joyfully and grow graciously in the sight of God.  It is a shared responsibility of both parent-teachers and children themselves.  How true are the words from proverbs that tell us, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

“Dear parents and teachers, I urge you to nurture our children and train them to be honest and responsible citizens.  Above all love them and care for their happiness.  My dearest children you are special and precious to us.  Today, I encourage you to obey your parents and teachers and honour them.  Be grateful to God for them and for the gift of childhood God has blessed you with.  Pray for those who are not fortunate to go school that they too may get the opportunity to study and live a life of dignity and respect.  As you celebrate your childhood, remember that you are unique, special and a wonderful child of GOD.”