Childhood is a very precious and the best phase of our lives. During this phase, we have no responsibilities, no worries about the future, no stress, and no academic pressure. We are closest to our family members and siblings during this time because we spend our days playing, meeting friends, going to school in the morning, playing with them, doing homework, and then recounting all our adventures before falling asleep at night. Even today, when I remember my childhood, a smile automatically comes to my face, and I recall all the mischievous things we did and the fun we had. Childhood is a time that feels like "once in a lifetime," because everyone cherishes their childhood memories.
Childhood is the most beautiful part of our lives. In our innocent childhood, we were free from worldly desires and attachments. We were only interested in playing and having fun. We didn't care about earning money. We found immense joy in the simplest things, like our dad bringing home a chocolate, or getting a new toy, or simply playing street cricket with our friends. We had so much fun, and that was our whole world back then. At that time, we didn't understand the value of money. The true meaning of life for us was to play all day, then come home, do our homework, and go to sleep. And now we've grown up, and we can afford everything, but we can't recapture that childhood happiness. The kind of happiness we felt when we were told those fun stories before going to sleep.
School life is a huge part of childhood. We used to carry heavy bags to school, and we had to complete all our work there. We still remember the teacher's scolding. We especially looked forward to recess because everything felt like it was on a strict timeline. During recess, we would quickly eat our lunch, exchanging tiffins with each other, because after that, we would go downstairs to play. I still remember little moments, like sharing someone's chips or biscuits. Even the attendance roll call, when the teacher would call out our names and we'd say "Present," felt like an achievement. So, school was a very cherished memory of our childhood. We played with our friends, we fought a lot too, and all of it is still so vivid in our memories today because what we did in school during our childhood was full of innocence and so much fun.
I have one friend who has been with me since childhood. He's a great guy, just like all my friends today, whom I've known since childhood. I've maintained these friendships since I was a child, and childhood friends aren't just friends; they become like family members. Fighting with them, then making up, talking without any pretense—that was only possible in childhood. Nowadays, friendships are full of conditions, exceptions, and a lot of selfishness. People only look out for their own benefit. But childhood friendships are the most important because there's that innocence, that childlike affection. There are no conditions, no expectations, no misunderstandings, nothing. It's just pure affection for each other. Sharing a feeling or even just sharing something is a symbol of friendship. In childhood, those friendships were pure and from the heart.
And in my childhood, people didn't have smartphones, laptops, or even landline phones. When I was a child, technology hadn't advanced that much. There were phones and laptops back then too, but they were very expensive, so we couldn't afford them. Only my dad had a touchscreen phone, but he used to go to the office, so we only got to see it in the evening. So, during the day, we only had one option: outdoor activities. We would play outside from morning till evening without getting tired or bored. We played cricket, football, kho-kho, tag, Ludo, and all sorts of games. We had so much fun. Even in the rain, we would play in the mud, and then Mom would scold us because we had gotten ourselves and our clothes completely dirty. These are all cherished childhood memories. I still remember them fondly today.
As we grew older, responsibilities increased, childhood faded away, and the pressure of career, money, and even thoughts of suicide began to weigh on us. All of this makes us serious, and sometimes we become so busy that we can't even find time for ourselves. The games we used to play with everyone in our childhood are now something we can barely even think about playing, let alone actually play. It felt like a dream that we would ever find time to do something for ourselves. In such moments, it's the memories of childhood that provide solace. An old photograph, an old song, or a conversation with school friends—these things were so much fun. For a little while, we would all be transported back to our childhood.
