"It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken man" - Frederick Douglass

It has become Mantra for some people to always say our beloved Fourth King's incredible line, "Future of our country lies in the hands of current generation of youth". We have been hearing it for countless times from countless people. No matter how talented, skilled and professional our current adults are, they will somehow be replaced by our current youth someday. Our country will be in the hands of the children we see today.

I don't know what parenting is, how difficult it is or how it must be done. I just know that it must be really important in the life of a child and, in a long run, the state of our country. I strongly believe that the love we have for our country is directly or indirectly expressed to how we treat our children. And if we treat our children right, we are treating our country's future right.

It is no doubt. Every parents will say words like, 'Boy, don't do drugs', 'Girl, don't loiter around', 'Boy, don't fight', 'Girl, don't date until 18', blah blah blah... It isn't too difficult to say that, is it? It is difficult to portray it. Young minds don't listen to words, they listen to actions.

Parents are too strict at times. But it is not parenting, I think. It actually teaches children how to find ways to survive their strict parents by telling what is not true and expressing what they don't feel. Some even says that parenting is like a prison. You give freedom to your children within a certain fenced boundary. But within that boundary, the children must be free to explore anything he or she likes. The children shall not be told what is wrong or right but have to be shown.

Wikipedia says, "Parenting or child rearing is the process of promoting and supporting the physical, emotional, social, financial, and intellectual development of a child from infancy to adulthood. Parenting refers to the aspects of raising a child aside from the biological relationship." Are we supporting our children in these aspects? And it even says that parenting refers to the aspects of raising a child aside from the bio-relationships which literally makes us all a part of care-givers and supporters for all the children without considering biological relationships. Therefore, parenting is less of a family-thing, and more of a gross responsibility.

Thus, I think it is one responsibity of everyone of us to think about making every children productive and giving them the support that they need. All of us are the parents of our country because we have it in our hands what our country must go through next. Should we do good things and show a better example to our children? Yes, we should. It is important. Really important, I think.
"Life is a journey, walk it."

I have seen Taktshang in photos till now. But recently, some of my friends wanted to plan a trip there. "We are making this trip for you, since you are always wandering around eastern forests", joked one friend. I couldn't show any excitement that time because I was actually satisfied seeing photos of Taktshang anywhere, until one day...

The Yesterday
We were of five. Three friends were told to pack only curries for the lunch. And two (which includes me), were to bring only rice. I always loved journeys and adventures. The night, I was visualizing my trip.

The Today
At 9 in the morning, we moved from Thimphu. It was little foggy and in the middle of the way, it rained. We anticipated the unfavourable journey due to the whether.

It took around an hour to reach the parking of Taktshang. We decided to leave the packed lunch in the car and have it when we get back. Actually, I though the journey would be little short but it was quite a walk.

We began the walk upwards. I saw an elderly man, who was a tourist, walking down alone. He was with a rain coat. Rain was sprinkling. "Hello. How was the trip?", a friend of mine asked. "So easy." He lied.

We were of four boys and a girl. The girl was in difficulty. She had to walk with a stick. I wanted to walk with her and three other friends went far forward. I pretended like I was accompanying her but let me admit, I walked with her because I couldn't catch the gentlemen in the front.

At certain point, the three friends were waiting. They said that Taktshang should actually be visible from that point but the fog prevented the visual. And they added that Lungten (me) have no Lungten (prophecy) to visit Taktshang. Hmm...

I was actually surprised by the number of tourists we met on the way. They were countless and from various parts of the earth. One time, I asked an elderly woman, "How was the trip?". She curiously glanced at her guide. I don't remember what the guide told her. I heard something like 'shi sha sho la mamo pala...". And then the woman told me, "beautiful but..." and she pointed her index finger to her knees which was muddy. I understood she slipped.

We continued our journey. We reached Taktshang Cafeteria where the price of the Tea was Nu 150. So that's ahemm... a little too much, I thought, for me.

We continued our journey upwards. I haven't seen Taktshang yet because of the fog. As we walked upwards, I looked aside and suddenly got my palms together upon seeing a little portion of Taktshang. I got the energy to walk a little faster.

There we reached the top and had to walk through the trail by then. And here we did it. The Taktshang that I saw in pictures and the Taktshang I saw in real had a difference of sky and earth. The feeling was completely out of my mind. It was extra-ordinarily beautiful and full of power. I was wondering, how in those times, it could have been built in such a speechless site.

We wore our formal uniforms and before entering, we took lot of photos. We then entered the phenomenal Taktshang and, honestly, everything inside was what we see in Monasteries. The wonders all lie in it's location, the breezy waterfalls, the precision of architecture that is too catchy of eyes and souls and mainly it's height of beauty.

We then walked back. Our prayer is all that we left.

The Tomorrow
Well. I understood that there is more to life than everything that we face daily. There are more places that we have to walk to, more paths that we have to walk through and more people we have to walk with. It must be full of surprises. And for now, all I can say is that life is worth living.