Parenting is a difficult job, and often it’s like holding a mirror up to yourself. In her concise essay, Hema shows us her daughter’s various attempts to get her attention, and then wryly contrasts that with her own attempts to gain attention on Twitter, without summary, pointed commentary, or tacked-on moral at the end. By “contrasting” her daughter’s actions with her own, Hema allows the reader to laugh with her at the irony of the situation. Rather than telling the reader that she is a grown-up reflection of her daughter, she allows the reader to draw that conclusion through observation and understatement. This is an excellent example of a complete micro essay that tells a story, is layered, and allows the reader to reflect on their own behaviour, all in under 100 words.
Her, for the 100th time : “Mama, look! Look at me, Mama! Look, I can do cartwheels/bend myself like a pretzel/the most difficult ballet pose in the world/hang upside down like a bat and read/spit water out like the Merlion! Look Mama, look!”
Me : “Yes, yes, I’m looking! God!“
Not really.
I’m actually checking Twitter for the 100th time to see how many people have looked at, liked, and retweeted me.
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Photo by Edi Libedinsky on Unsplash