Winter is slowly setting in Kolkata. The cold days are steadily coming back to the city, though at a slower pace. The days are getting shorter, giving way to a longer and colder night. As with all other seasons, people are changing their ways of life. Warm clothes are making their yearly appearance. Fair grounds are getting ready to accommodate the gathering. The city is getting dressed up to sport a new look.
It’s the little joys of winter that people love. The joy of huddling up under a quilt in a cold wintry night may seem as exciting and tempting as that of enjoying the long chat in the evening with friends and family over many cups of coffee. Everyday seems like a celebration of the season. Bright and sunny days make it all the more enjoyable.
It’s the children who enjoy the season much more than the adults. The season brings only smiles on their faces, with new warm clothes, cold nights under the quilt, grannies’ story-telling. And oh, how they love it. Schools have a delayed start, giving more time for the toddlers to leave the bed. The holidays are when the kids have a blast. With most schools, if not all, remaining closed, they love to spend it with their parents while parents have a hard time giving in to their little ones’ tantrums.
As for myself, my childhood memories of winter are scattered. I used to go to school alone. It was an ordinary Bengali medium primary school with some extra-ordinary faculties. I had lot more friends than a toddler has today. Cricket and other sports used to keep us busy during recess. Back home, I used to spend time in the sun after lunch, along with my grand-mom. I loved the nights and the warmth the quilt had to offer.
But not everything in the world is in good form and shape. There are people in the city who hardly have the means to make both ends meet. Spending the nights under the open sky, they don’t even own a quilt to protect themselves from the brutal cold nights. The season is more of an agony than a celebration. There’s nothing spectacular in their lives.
It’s more agonizing for their children. Life makes adults stronger but the little ones have a tougher time braving the coldness. They don’t get warm clothes, leave alone new ones. They don’t complain. No new clothes, no quilt to cover up, no granny to share bed-side stories, not even the food. They are the little soldiers..
But in our simple ways, we can probably make a difference, although little, and bring joys on their little faces. Why not give away our childhood clothes that we’ve still kept in our cupboard for no reason? Or why not celebrate the Christmas with them? This might not present itself as a broader solution but little is definitely better than nothing.
Last year, some of my friends arranged for a cake give-away on the Christmas eve. It was success to some extent but it came up with a bigger question — can’t we do more for them? I hope we’d organise the same this year too.
The first signs are showing up. It’s not too late to give them a happier winter — a winter they deserve, just like any other toddler in the city.
(This post is cross posted from Incorrigible Attitude)
It’s the little joys of winter that people love. The joy of huddling up under a quilt in a cold wintry night may seem as exciting and tempting as that of enjoying the long chat in the evening with friends and family over many cups of coffee. Everyday seems like a celebration of the season. Bright and sunny days make it all the more enjoyable.
It’s the children who enjoy the season much more than the adults. The season brings only smiles on their faces, with new warm clothes, cold nights under the quilt, grannies’ story-telling. And oh, how they love it. Schools have a delayed start, giving more time for the toddlers to leave the bed. The holidays are when the kids have a blast. With most schools, if not all, remaining closed, they love to spend it with their parents while parents have a hard time giving in to their little ones’ tantrums.
As for myself, my childhood memories of winter are scattered. I used to go to school alone. It was an ordinary Bengali medium primary school with some extra-ordinary faculties. I had lot more friends than a toddler has today. Cricket and other sports used to keep us busy during recess. Back home, I used to spend time in the sun after lunch, along with my grand-mom. I loved the nights and the warmth the quilt had to offer.
But not everything in the world is in good form and shape. There are people in the city who hardly have the means to make both ends meet. Spending the nights under the open sky, they don’t even own a quilt to protect themselves from the brutal cold nights. The season is more of an agony than a celebration. There’s nothing spectacular in their lives.
It’s more agonizing for their children. Life makes adults stronger but the little ones have a tougher time braving the coldness. They don’t get warm clothes, leave alone new ones. They don’t complain. No new clothes, no quilt to cover up, no granny to share bed-side stories, not even the food. They are the little soldiers..
But in our simple ways, we can probably make a difference, although little, and bring joys on their little faces. Why not give away our childhood clothes that we’ve still kept in our cupboard for no reason? Or why not celebrate the Christmas with them? This might not present itself as a broader solution but little is definitely better than nothing.
Last year, some of my friends arranged for a cake give-away on the Christmas eve. It was success to some extent but it came up with a bigger question — can’t we do more for them? I hope we’d organise the same this year too.
The first signs are showing up. It’s not too late to give them a happier winter — a winter they deserve, just like any other toddler in the city.
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