#52. Atharv’s Chronicle : 30-06-2026 Life is a Circle 🔄

Welcome back to another edition of Atharv’s Chronicle!

It hit me at 3:20 PM on a random evening. Me and My wife were going to her mom’s place and it was close to 4 PM – schools were wrapping up, and kids were crossing the road, heading home. Bags on their backs. Laughing. Carefree. And just like that – we were pulled into a conversation neither of us planned.

We started talking about those days. The school days. The no-pressure, no-deadline, no-serious-discussion days. And honestly? It felt so good just talking about it.

But then we both paused and laughed at ourselves. Because back then, when we were those kids? We were literally dreaming of growing up. “When I grow up – I’ll be so free. I’ll earn my own money. I’ll ride my own bike. I’ll eat whatever I want. I’ll go wherever I want. I won’t need permission from anyone!” We had this whole fantasy of adult life. Like it was some kind of unlocked level in a game.

And now? We have the bike. We have the car. We take our own decisions. We earn. We go wherever we want. We eat whatever we want. Technically – we have everything we once wished for. Let that sink in for a second. We are literally living the dream our younger self had.

And yet – we still crib. We still wish for simpler times, we still want to go back, we don’t want to take any burdens, we want that carefree life again!!! Isn’t that the most human thing ever? When we were kids – we wanted to grow up. Now that we’ve grown up – we want to go back to being kids. Life is a circle, quite literally.

And this circle doesn’t stop at just us. Think about our parents. When we were born – they gave up their sleep, their comfort, their time, their freedom. Everything. Just to raise us. To make sure we had everything we needed. They asked nothing in return.

And now – as they grow older – the roles slowly start reversing. We become their strength. We become their support. We become the one they lean on. We only truly understand our parents when we become parents ourselves. Or at least when we grow old enough to look back and connect all the dots.

When we were small – we needed someone to take care of us. We asked for it. We expected it. And our parents showed up, every single time. Now that we are grown – it’s not even a question. It’s not even a choice. It’s our turn. And it’s the most beautiful responsibility we will ever carry. That’s the circle. Care comes around. Love comes around. Life comes around.

Now, I’m not saying – don’t miss your childhood. That’s a beautiful feeling. Those were golden days and it’s okay to smile about them. But here’s the real question – are we actually grateful for what we have right now? Because not appreciating what we already have – that’s the real curse. Not the pressure. Not the deadlines. Not the responsibilities. The curse is looking at our life and not seeing how far we’ve already come.

We ended up quoting this and couldn’t stop laughing – “Don’t grow up – it’s a scam!” 😂 Haha – love this! But honestly, it’s kind of true AND kind of not true – both at the same time!

Here’s what I personally believe. Every phase of life has its own flavour. Childhood had its magic. So does this phase. And so will the next one. The circle keeps moving. Phases keep changing. And the only way to truly live it – is to be HERE. Fully present. Not replaying the past, not rushing to the next phase. Just this moment, this version of life, this chapter. Because living fully doesn’t mean having everything figured out. It means showing up completely – for this phase, for the people in it, for ourself.

And somewhere in that journey – be there for your parents. The way they were there for you. Without thinking twice. That’s not just duty. That’s love completing its circle.

I’ve learnt to celebrate every phase of this life. And I intend to keep doing that.

Cheers to life – I just celebrate life! Love you Zindagi 🫶

– Atharv Prasanna