First Stage Performance- The best event of the year gone by!

"Dancing makes your soul grow its own pair of wings.” – Dahi Tamara Koch.

Dearest Shri,

A very #HappyNewyear-2023, son!

My child, the year gone by gave your parents, so many moments and memories to be grateful for. In this letter, I mention one of your most memorable achievements-Your #firststageperformance in the first year of formal schooling on your school’s annual day function scheduled in December- '22.

It all started on your first formal school PTM that we attended with your maternal grandparents when your class teacher asked us if we would like our child to participate in the Annual Day Dance program? I promptly replied, only if we didn't have to train or teach. Son, trust me, with all your kindergarten schooling happening remotely, courtesy of COVID-19, I was done with preparing you with so many activities along with the curriculum teaching. No more, I told your teacher, and she responded that she would take charge and that we need to only provide her with our consent and the costume charges. That was doable for us!

Once the written consent was submitted, your dance practice started at school. It was so good to see you demonstrate your first learned steps to your Nannu-Naani and all of us at home and instruct us to imitate the same. I still remember you rated all our performances one by one, and Naani was the only one to get a duck out of ten marks as her steps didn’t exactly match yours. Your actions and words triggered a non-stop laugh-riot that night. I wish I remembered to capture those moments, but that’s okay, son! Some moments are best captured by eyes and saved in human brains and hearts.

Every day after school, I enquired what new steps you learned; you provided a perfect narration of the exact steps for a couple of days and, after that, conveyed your disinterest in learning dance. You asked me, “Mumma, why do I have to dance? The steps are not easy; they are hard.” I said that nothing comes easy, son. You have to keep learning and practicing. After a few more days of training at school, you willingly started showing the steps learned. When you did, I looked at you in sheer admiration. That's what most moms do. They are always in awe of their kids.

Shri, it wasn't that I, as a parent, did not contribute to your dance event. If your teacher was teaching you steps, I washed your heavily-soiled school uniforms (blue-grey and white). It sounds rude, but every time I hand-washed your white uniform, I would curse your school management for having white uniforms for students of Class I for two days a week and, if that was not enough, make the students practice dance in them. All my Chemistry knowledge was tested by removing those stubborn stains and sending you in pristine school uniforms daily. But eventually, everyone’s efforts were paid-off well. Mine was a little early, precisely three days before your final performance, when you enthusiastically showed your entire dance performance to your father and me. The song was "#Mumma-by #KailashKher." As I played the music in the background, you took your position and your father his (to record). Your beautiful actions synchronized perfectly with the meaningful lyrics of the song instantly brought uncontrolled tears of joy to my eyes. When you finished dancing, and your Papa and I clapped in appreciation, you asked me why I was crying? I hugged you and said because you danced very well to which you replied Oh! Okay, Mumma.

The following day as I walked you to school for your dance rehearsal, I told you to dance well. You were quick to respond, Mumma, that well so that you start crying? Your innocence made me burst into laughter. I could have never thought that my crying would become a parameter for your dance performance. Anyway, to avoid crying in a hall full of people during your final event, I came back home and played aloud the same song on a loop for almost an hour. Every time the singer sang “ho khuda pe bhi asar, tu duao ka hai ghar, maire maa" streams of tears rolled down my eyes, their speed further accelerated with the lines……"tere hote kiska darr tu duao ka hai ghar, maire maa". Son, I am sure my feeling will resonate with millions of people across the globe because that is the power of the word "#Maa." A word though small to spell or say but is our entire world; you need nothing to complement or complete it. The song gave me many more reasons to be grateful to the Almighty; for it is He with whose grace I have a Mom, and I am a Mom. May He keep my Mom protected and healthy so that she keeps blessing all of us. Touchwood! I am sure you wish the same for your Mumma when you read this.

Finally, D-day came when you were going to perform live on stage with your mates in front of hundreds of people. As I dropped you at school in your dance costume, you repeatedly told me to dress beautifully and not miss your dance. Your parents obliged and were seated in the hall well before time. As your program was announced, I kept a handkerchief handy. Once your group took their position behind the drawn curtains, your Papa kept his camera ready for the roll. The curtains opened with another beautiful song dedicated to Mothers, where more actions were done by the girls of your group. We quickly spotted you. Your Papa’s eyes were fixed entirely on you as you danced effortlessly to the “#Mumma" song. Meanwhile, I was trying to find your and mine picture on the big screen displaying beautiful photos of the children performing with their mothers. Alas! Ours wasn't there, which annoyed me a bit, but I was glad that it distracted my attention from the deep lyrics of the song. I did not get emotional. WE LOVED EVERY BIT OF YOUR PERFORMANCE. The ease and confidence with which you danced for the first time in front of such a vast crowd made us proud parents. Well done, Shri!

After your performance, we were supposed to collect and bring you to our seats. Your father went to get you, but even after 20 minutes, when he did not return, I called. He did not take my call but came back instead to only tell me that he can’t find you. I did not panic as the event was taking place on the campus itself, and I had not heard of any untoward incident for more than a decade of my stay here. Thus, I simply replied he must be somewhere in the hall. He returned, really worried, and said, get up; we need to find Shri. Your Papa was concerned because you were not there where your class teacher probably made you sit in the hall.

Furthermore, your friends, teachers, guards, and volunteers had yet to see you after the performance. So, we started looking for you in all the places you could be, namely, green room, washrooms, school building, and parking area, but in vain. I somehow felt deep down my heart that you must be seated in the hall itself and thus went back to search each row of the auditorium. I vividly remember a Hindi skit being performed on stage, and the audience thoroughly enjoying it. In contrast, your parents were tense. Then came your teacher's call, and I could not determine what she spoke due to the loud noise. I went out and called her back to be told that she had found you. Your teacher brought you from the hall, tightly holding your hand and telling me that he was sitting sandwiched between the two senior girls' volunteers and thus could not be spotted. I relayed the message to your father, who came running for you. This incident pissed him off, and he was in no mood to return to the auditorium. Well, his expressions were still tense as I guess he had thought the worse (you going missing/kidnapped) several times in those 20 minutes, and those terrifying thoughts had still not died away.

On the contrary, you were jumping and enjoying totally oblivious to what happened or could have happened. So, my dear son, your dance performance for us was the concluding performance of your #FirstAnnualDayFunction. On our way home, I insisted that your dad drop us at a family friend who was not well. After doing so, he left for his workplace. I am sure your father would have wondered why I did not get as worried as him. Probably Mother’s instincts of you being absolutely safe!

We enjoyed ourselves at your aunt's place, who also clicked our pictures. Without her, I would not have had any photos of us together on your first significant school performance. Anyway, all ended well, and I can conclude that your #firststageshow was momentous and unforgettable for US!

God bless you in abundance, my love!

An ever-grateful Mom who is only yours- today, tomorrow, and Always!

PS. 1: Hey, kiddo, remember to carry the same confidence (that you had when you performed) as you move ahead in life's journey. You danced as if it was a piece of cake, not nervous, not influenced by what was happening or who was watching. You just enjoyed dancing as much as we enjoyed watching you!

PS. 2: Son, your first stage performance became memorable not only because it was your first but also for those 20 minutes of desperately looking for you, especially by your dad. Every second that passed made him think you were going farther away from him. Nothing scares a parent more than the mere thought of losing their kid. Although I surely can understand what he went through, the pain he was afflicted within those minutes was only for him to truly experience. So, Shri, as you grow up and have a world of your own, remember to be always safe and keep your parents, especially your father, informed about your whereabouts. This is the least and the maximum we ask and expect from you.