Rishi Jain

We were all standing, anxiously waiting for almost five hours to hear the good news. Restlessly walking up and down the corridor of the hospital, at times pressing our ears to the doors of the labor room, expecting to hear the cry of the little angel.

And after five hours of impatience at 2:14 a.m, the nurse finally walked out of the room with an announcement, “It’s a baby boy”.

It was for about 3-5 minutes that she allowed us to hold him before taking him back into the labor room. And immediately after she left, the comparison notes started.

– His ears and toes are big like his grandfather.

– His face resembles his uncle.

– No No, he looks more like his mom.

– His grandmother had the same big eyes.

And I was standing there, hoping someone would say that, “he looks like his dad”. I was a little angry, jealous and surprised thinking how could my own production not have even one similarity of his dad.

It’s a proud moment for most of the parents to find any similar physical or behavioral attributes in their child. And finally, after a few days, my wife said, “He sleeps just like you, like a log”. And the moment she compared him with me, I lit up, feeling more proud of both of us.

I think wives usually enjoy breaking the joyous moments of their husband’s and so my wife quickly adds, “When he would grow a little older, he will start to express himself better. His originality would start to appear. He would like to taste his own freedom. And there would be a difference in opinions.

So are you ready to accept the differences as much as the similarities? Would you still be as proud and happy of him as he grows?”

I was in the mood to just enjoy and play and wasn’t expecting my wife to throw such serious questions at me, but the question did get me thinking.

And when I went to bed that night I kissed my little boy and my wife and whispered in her ears, “By the way did I tell you, his lips are just as perfect as yours”.