Opinion

Growing up in an average Indian family in the  70's and 80's there was very little room for personal opinion. You believed what your parents believed in or you were a rebel without a cause. You ate what everyone else ate or you were a nuisance and if you had an opinion you kept it to yourself. It certainly made it quieter and easier but it bred all sorts of passive aggression and for many like me, a life long struggle with being assertive. It wasn't all bleak and bad- it had its own merits. You didn't have to exercise your brain too much if you didn't want to. But it wasn't until yesterday that I realized what a loss actually it was for our parents! The opinion of a child can be a beautiful thing. It can be fresh, enlightening, and above all a window into your child's character and personality.

Kabir has a friend who makes beautiful Origami pieces and is generous enough to give several to him. We have had them all displayed on our mantle for quite a while now. They just lie there- quite a motley crew. In my fetish for de- cluttering I  desperately want to "put them away".  But he won't have it. He values his friend's work and has the bravado to tell me to leave them alone. I feel proud that he has an opinion and a heart that values friendship. I am glad I asked if I could remove them and even happier that he didn't yes even though he wanted to say no!