Loving patience

Had a bumpy ride from Punganur to Chennai last night... couldn't expect anything more, occupying a seat in the last row of the bus!  Added to that there was a small boy and his mother sitting beside me and the whole night - the whole night! - the boy kept crying for his grandfather. Most of the passengers were irritated and would often stare at the mother.  One youngster was so vexed that he even went to the extent of asking her when was she getting off!

However, what appealed to me most was the loving patience of this mother.  I'm sure the child must have slept well during the day, if not it would not have the energy to keep crying all night.  That meant the mother would have been at work all day long. She appeared to be a daily wage labourer or a vendor.  But not once did I hear her raise her voice or beat the child.  All along the journey, she kept distracting the child in a hushed voice, with all sorts of stories and what not. Neither did she threaten the child to stop crying - maybe just one or two times, but that too in a very tender manner. The whole night she kept her child busy showing her things from the window, talking to him of all sorts of things, narrating stories... so patiently and with such love. I guess that is possible only for a mother.

Of course, I've seen other women take care of their children - believe me, for it is coming from one who has some divine 'blessing' of always travelling with some noisy kids - but this woman stands out for her loving patience! Truly incredible.