Moon’s Problems

I wanted to do something different than writing a blog in first person. Just for a change 🤷‍♀️

So here’s a short story.

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Yesterday after crying over a math problem I couldn’t solve, I was standing on my balcony to cool down. As it is, an 8 year old third-grader has so much work to do, like filling up the cooler, folding up the dried clothes and watering the plants. And then on top of that the school just dumps down so much homework on students. They think that we have nothing to do during the holidays besides the homework. Not fair!  

While looking at the neighborhood where I’ve lived for years now, my attention goes to the moon. It was the prettiest moon I had seen this month and possibly the prettiest in this year. This was definitely the moon from which all the “deep” paintings were inspired and it was the shot to show nighttime in serials, mostly vampires if I’m being honest. The perfect full moon hiding behind the black, but not jet-black clouds.

You know when you are yourself in distress, it’s easier to think that life is much simpler for the other person. To think that things are smoother for the other person than you. To think that the grass is greener on the other side. Or, rather think that the sky is clearer above the other person. 

Being in a similar situation, I made an absent minded remark knowing there wasn’t anybody there but me (or at least I thought so). I muttered looking at the moon, “Your life’s so easy. Do nothing but still be admired by thousands. You just have to show up and hide behind the clouds if you wish. Sometimes you don’t even show up. You don’t have to worry about how many marks you will get on a MCQ or why didn’t your classmate invite you to her birthday party or can you fill up a bathtub with ice cream. You have it easy. Just exist and people will write poems comparing pretty people with you and BOOM! You’re a metaphor 🙄”

Mumma calls me and just when I’m about to run back to the kitchen, I hear a soft sigh. A voice came from above me, almost like a whisper. Unable to figure out where the voice was coming from, I started looking here and there. Behind the pot, below the chair, even inside the water hose. The voice spoke up again. “Pss. Pss. Up here. Look up.”

Pretty confused, I looked up at the sky. There it is. The moon. Actually talking, I mean whispering, to me. 

Moon whispers again,”Hey you. Yes you. You think life’s difficult for you only? Everything is easy for me? Let me answer that for you. It’s not. Things are just as difficult for me as they are for you, cause your life is yours and my life is mine. It’s not easy for me to be working during the night shift. I get sleepy too ok? 😴 and it doesn’t end just there. I have duties too. Remember you just studied tides? I’m the one responsible for high tides and low tides. You know how hard it is to make the tides rise? It takes so much energy. And sometimes when I don’t come people don’t care. But once in a year, when I’m late, people, especially ladies make such a fuss. I am so confused. You see all these stars. They are so bright coloured. Pink, blue, yellow, red. Name it and they are in those colours. But look at me. Just boring plain white. That too scarred with so many craters.”

Okay. Woah. I did not see anything like that coming. I mindlessly just grumbled about my own issues. I think it triggered the moon. But I guess it’s ok. I got someone to vent out my problems and moon got someone to let it’s problems out. However, I do see his point.

Source: https://en.meming.world/wiki/No,_No._He%27s_Got_a_Point

 I can see why the moon is – just like me – frustrated. He didn’t complain but I did. Everyone has their problems and at the same time everyone handles them differently. But cribbing about it is not the same as handling it. And thinking that someone’s life is easier than your is definitely not the solution. 

Quickly realising this observation, I whisper back, “Sorry moon. I never knew you had these many responsibilities too. I’ll remember not to whine about my work. And by the way, those women fussing about you coming late are the Indian women on Karva Chauth who are annoyed because they can’t eat until you come. Bye I’ve to go now. Hope to see you tomorrow.”

And with that I left to fill up the cooler and take another look at my math problem.

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 Let me know if you like the blogs better or the story. And if you like, I’d do more of the stories.

Karva Chauth – Karva Chauth is a one-day festival celebrated by Hindu women from some regions of India, especially northern India, four days after purnima in the month of Kartika.