From Summer Slumber to Slipping Time #FictionMonday

My alarm went off at 5:15 this morning. I got out of bed after 5:30 somewhat reluctantly—not because I wanted to sleep more, but because tomorrow school begins after the summer holidays and I’ll have no choice but to get up when the alarm goes off.

That thought discouraged me. It’s always these unwelcome, undeserving thoughts that demotivate us, isn’t it?

I like waking up early. Granted, from tomorrow onwards, my slow mornings won’t last for more than 45 or 60 minutes, depending on the time I wake up. But those 60 minutes would be a lot more nourishing than the ones I’ve had this summer. The limited amount of time makes it valuable, and I’ll savor every second with gratitude.

I remember listening to songs aired on the radio back when I was in college. This was before the world transitioned to the smartphone era when one touch of a finger couldn’t conjure up stories to read and music to listen to, and I didn’t own a Walkman or a tape recorder. So that one hour of songs from our beloved ‘Aakashvani’ was a blissful experience I still relish in my memories.

I realize that having a limited supply is not always a bad thing. It enhances the experience, like how deadlines suddenly improve our ability to finish a project.

My firstborn is starting high school tomorrow. We are standing at the beginning of a new chapter. It’s exciting and nerve-racking. It’s exhilarating and exhausting for this mom. My little one is starting his 2nd grade.

Time is moving at its own pace, making me feel the length of each and every day. Yet here I am, feeling like time is slipping through my fingers.

I panic at times at this thought. One blink and life changes. The ten-year-old me who lives inside me is still wondering what has happened. Are we ever going to get a notification that life is changing constantly?

Or is it all supposed to stay one giant surprise for us to figure out in the end?

© Vinitha Dileep


This piece is written in response to the two hundredth and ninth edition of Fiction Monday inspired by the word prompt – SURPRISE hosted by yours truly. Do join in if you have a tale to tell.

Fiction Monday

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8 thoughts on “From Summer Slumber to Slipping Time #FictionMonday

  1. I wish him the best for this new phase in life. You got your hands full. I still remember listening to the radio when I was a kid and now I listen to the radio while driving my kid to school. Feels like a lifetime has passed. Enjoy these little moments. 😄

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  2. Ah! I hear you, Vinitha! I would say, enjoy this time with the kiddos. They grow up so fast these days. Kanna’s already a highschooler? Wow! Can’t believe it. And Akku, too…still recall how he used to play with you, he loves “hanging out” with mom, doesn’t he? Precious moments, Vinitha! You’ll see how, in the blink of an eye, you are suddenly in this phase where you have all the time in the world…

    Lovely post, Vinitha! Keep writing and sharing. 🙂

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  3. You’re going to be a Mom to a highschooler! That’s really something.

    Time really does seem to fly, doesn’t it. As much as I want to my mornings to be slow and peaceful, I always seem to end up getting in to a tizzy! 😦

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  4. Vinatha, One day you are a kid and the next your kid is in high school. Life is a stream and we are floating on it unaware of how fast we are moving. I used to wake up at six am to send my kids to school but now that they are all grown up I miss waking them up. Enjoy your precious moments with them.

    p.s. loved your comments on my sonnets.

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  5. Time moves and stands still. When we want it to stay it runs away and when we wish to hold back time, it disappears in a wink. Enjoy all these moments, the early mornings and the time with your boys, they may slip away fatser than we wish but will always remain in your memories just like those akashvani songs of your youth.

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