Dear Rebel
Dear Rebel
Dear Rebel,
Ah, I love this rebel! Yelling, grumbling, whining, mimicking, mocking, zooming past in her skate wheels, Bluetooth headphones looming over her little head!
Do I know her really? I’ve heard scary tales about the newly brewed teens and wondered about mine…well, I mean teenage…all those crushes, dreams, ideas, rebels…there is a whole new world waiting to be unfurled where ideas would collide against each other, crushes would make and break… I was more excited than her most of the time!
Is it true girls are going on dates? I was awestruck…
‘What’s the big deal Maa, yes most of them have been on dates’
I mean really…but where do they go for dates?
‘Canteen, library, basketball court anywhere!’
Oh, all right! My motherly instinct was pacified a bit at this idea of the date.
There is this teenage girl growing tall by the day in front of our eyes, with eyes that sparkle, with a smile so simple that takes our heart away and a being so innocent for the world which scares the hell out of us! This is the new rebel in the house finding her own footing, voicing her says, submerged in her world with her ideas. This isn’t me or my husband a few decades ago this is a new being with her freshly brewed thoughts to step into a world she would mould her way.
My little teenager well not so little anymore, sometimes I whine to her, believe me, nuptial ties, and kids weren’t much of my cup of tea, most of the things in my life were preceded by peer pressure! Yes, you had remarked ‘What a wonderful reason to bring me into this world Maa! Peer pressure like really!
In fact, being a mom did seem overrated to me at times! I mean motherhood could not be the essence of my life…yet when I see a living, breathing, shining human who is a product of my womb, my heart swells with pride, and sunshine dazzles my eyes! But all those could be the things of the past!
Because, now I stare at a rebellious teenager most of the time, and tease her sometimes ‘My sweet rebel without a cause‘ to which she groans louder, argues, and makes her points. Err where is that soft-spoken sweet girl whom we’d urge to speak up loudly and who is this tom, girlish grumpy soul?
In a softer mood. out comes the teenage romance, dates, break ups and mushy stories of school. Like someone writing a Korean dumping letter to her boyfriend. I mean why on earth!! But these are K times as they say…. boyfriends/ girlfriends get dumped like clothes, and new ones are made at the drop of a hat…I mean no long sighs and sad songs romance of her mom’s times and liking!
I ask softly… Did anyone ask you for a date?
Before she replies, our help chips in ‘Never seen a mom like this…. the girl is sane and balanced but mom leading her on!’
More interesting theory by my husband…
‘They are misleading you…your friends so that you also look for boyfriends and neglect your studies while they would top!’
‘Baba!!!! Stop your ridiculous conspiracy theories’ the teenage groans and her Maa bursts into laughter!!
The tales of a teenager complete with tantrums, whims, love, break ups and a beautiful promising world full of possibilities.
She takes us back sometimes to decades earlier… to our crushes, Purani Jeans-type friends, and inhibitions and sometimes pushes us to a future uncertain loaded with insecurities! But dear Rebel you are welcome to fight for your place in the world, find your voice in the cacophony, raise your head high and wade through the troubled waters with elan.
You are welcome to shed tears at algebra behaving miserably, fretting before the mathematics exam and how Mathematics isn’t your friend like your obsessed parents claim it as theirs!
Your parents who love these teen brawls as of now would love to see a soul with a balanced head over her shoulders and a voice which won’t succumb to pressure and find her own way always and yes maybe some love for Maths may be…what say!!
Yeah yeah, we are getting on your nerves again! Claiming how much we want about being the ‘cool’ parents….in reality, aren’t we…all the same… isn’t what we expect out of you just irrational. So rebel when you want! Speak up, and take a stand…you are not to be the bearer of irrational expectations of illogical people! You are to be what you are, what you can be!
Parenting isn’t easy as they say! Peer pressure, disappointment, setting examples, leading and misleading!
From the rebel without a cause to a rebel for a cause, the stage is yours!
Love
Yours Maa
Soma Bhattacharjee
