Diwali in Bangkok 2018: A Meaningful One With My Toddler
It’s been a busy week full of firsts celebrating Diwali (the Indian festival of lights marking the new year) this year. And by busy I really mean: getting dressed up, attending back to back parties, sleeping at 4am (only to be woken up at 7am by a toddler who does not understand the concept of sleeping in), decorating my house and hosting a family dinner. I sound like I’m complaining but I’m not. I think I’m just in shock at how much things change when planning a social life with a toddler in the mix — clearly it’s all new to me!
It’s not my first Diwali with Kiaan but it’s definitely the first one where he could participate (even if he didn’t really know what was going on). And I was pretty excited about that, especially finally being able to dress him up in adorable clothes. Kiaan attended his first kid’s Diwali party looking rather dapper in his Indian outfit. Attending parties with a kid is a whole different ballgame; I could not hold a conversation for more than 30 seconds without my eyes darting around wondering where my busybody son disappeared off to because he decided holding my hand for safety is uncool and overrated. At one point he found himself at a very risky spot right behind some swinging doors where the caterers were rushing through to bring food. I don’t know if I’m a fan of Kiaan as a human pancake.
My husband and I attended another adults Diwali party after putting Kiaan to bed that same evening (remember: back to back parties — how cool are we?). It was a pretty funny scene as we were getting ready at the same time as doing Kiaan’s bedtime routine. So there we were tagging each other in and out of Kiaan’s room: I was doing my makeup while my husband read Kiaan’s bedtime stories then he came back to get changed and I tagged in to give Kiaan his milk etc. One rookie mistake I make on my late “Cinderella” nights out is forgetting the “magic spell” of child-free fun eventually ends and I have to snap back to the reality of being a mom. Suffice to say the day following the party was a major struggle but it was so worth it!
Now that Kiaan is officially a toddler and able to learn and understand more, this year was especially important to me this year to create and establish a Diwali tradition for my little family. On Diwali I remember always watching my mom decorate entrance to the house and doorway with flowers and rangoli and when I was old enough that responsibility passed to me on the days leading up to Diwali. Another very strong memory I have is lighting up the diyas (oil lamps) all over the house on the evening of Diwali; the warm glow of the diyas added a magical and festive touch to the whole house. As Kiaan’s mom I have a deep desire to share with him the same joy of Diwali I had while growing up.
This year I decorated my house in a toddler-proof way — nothing on the floor or within arm’s reach. I chose to go with simple flowers and plastic rangolis that I wouldn’t be too distressed over should anything (read: Kiaan) happen to them. We had a lovely intimate home-cooked dinner to celebrate Diwali and bring in the new year with family and close friends. Of course, Kiaan and Milo were the centre of attention and both stayed up way past their bedtime. It’s a special occasion so I guess I’ll allow it. I am so grateful and happy that Kiaan gets to grow up with both sets of grandparents nearby; it’s something I didn’t have growing up and always wondered what it would be like to see my grandparents as often as Kiaan gets to see his.
Like I said before, it wasn’t my first Diwali with Kiaan but it was the first one with a special purpose and meaning as a parent. As Kiaan gets older I want to include him in all the festivities as much as I can so that he hopefully enjoys Diwali.
With that said, I hope the new year brings you and your families love, light and lots of laughter. Happy Diwali!
