She had been asking me for a while about these small-ish vases I had picked up recently but due to paucity of time, I couldn’t get flowers in them as yet. So just to explain the purpose of a vase and to silently celebrate a loved one’s birthday who is far away I got some flowers this Sunday morning and cut them to size.
N Aunty has been my proxy mama in Karachi for the decade I spent there. She has seen me laugh and she has hugged me while I’ve bawled. I don’t think I can ever repay or even want to for what she means to me. I always wish to be indebted with her love. It just makes my life more gorgeous to have her to hold on to.
She is also a national champion in ikebana/ flower arrangements so this year I wanted to make Sassi do something for her.
I wanted to let her loose and was looking forward to a few scrunched up flowers in the vases at the end of it.
I love doing such activities with my child where I let her run wild and free with her imagination and activity with least amount of instructions and maximum space to improvise. Usually in seemingly grown up activities. We do tons more and there isn’t a single time that I regret giving her a “grown up task”. These tasks are always safe and do not involve electricity, knives or fire.
However, this time around, my two year old had other plans. She took charge as if this was what she was waiting for all of her tiny life.
I ONCE tried to replace a flower and she screeched as if I had killed her cat. So I was not allowed to touch her work at any point in time
Right until I realised I didn’t want to!
It was perfect on its own.
This was perhaps my favourite summer activity EVER including those through my own childhood.
We have an ikebana expert in the making.
Happy Birthday N Aunty. We love you very much.
