Spinach Juice and Burnt Roti

"Spinach juice, anyone?", I asked stepping out into our backyard, balancing glasses of cold, fresh juice made from spinach and a few fruits.

Spinach juice, anyone?

Seeing the green juice, my husband frowned but said he will try it later. My son came running, took a sip, and said he too will try it later as it was too cold for him. My daughter tried it, said it was good, and we sat on the swing sipping the healthy juice. I was surprised that it actually tasted good.

I would have never thought of making juice with spinach. The new blender and the recipes that came along with it seemed to stress the fact that you can mix in green vegetables with other fruits and not feel any raw taste. Well, I was about to make palak paneer, an Indian dish with spinach and cottage cheese. I could spare a few leaves and try this seemingly healthy and easy option. When I saw my daughter finish her glass, I was glad I tried the recipe.

Later that night, after the kids went to bed, I found my son's glass half-filled with juice. He seemed to have taken few more sips but had not finished it. My husband told me that our son did not like it and added that even our daughter had not liked it. Really? She had finished the whole thing with a smile! It looks like she did not want to disappoint me which is why she drank it with a happy face. Aww, how sweet of her! In fact, I would have felt a little down if no one had liked it. That aside, I thought it would be best for her to be frank and be able to say if she didn't like something, without sounding offensive.

Next day, when they were back from school, I asked her about the juice and if she really liked it. She told me she had not liked it but drank it as she did not want to make me sad. I was trying to figure out a way to explain how she could have conveyed the same thing by giving me a nice feedback. Interrupting my thoughts, she said "It is just like grandpa's story, the one about burnt roti". She was referring to the story about a boy and his father eating burnt roti (bread) made by his mother. This story about Dr. Abdul Kalam, the late president of India, was popular in social media, and was narrated to the kids by my father. In that story, the boy's father eats the burnt roti without complaining and tells his wife that he liked it. When the boy later asks his father if he really likes burnt roti, he says he doesn't. The father points out the effort put in by the mother to make the roti and goes on to point out that no one is perfect and in this imperfect world, we need to be ready to accept the faults of others, and live with love and compassion.

After listening to her narration of the story of burnt roti, I did not go ahead with my advice. The story highlights the importance of acceptance and understanding and reinforced her ideas around such character traits. I was amazed by the magical touch of stories. I should sit down and write about this incident, I said to myself. After all, what better way to convey such important messages than through another story!