Someone has aptly said that you begin to understand your mother once you become a mother.
And now that I have a beautiful angel around whom my world is revolving, I can very much understand what being a mother means. You, I and everyone else were not this independent and smart and intelligent the moment we were born, but were groomed, raised, disciplined and taught to be what we are today. Yeah, by our now-so-old parents. And in raising a child, a mother’s role almost always has an edge.
I remember while growing up, I had many, many issues with my mom. Today, I wonder how she would have handled all my “I HATE YOU’s” during my fiery teenage years. I was never a regular girl, and my mother had a tough time making me not sit, walk or talk like boys. When I look at my daughter today, I panic at very minute discomfort that she might have to endure. I hate to have a bed-sheet that is crinkled if she is sleeping on it, I get paranoid if someone touches her without using a sanitizer first, and I trust no one when it comes to her needs and requirements. The basic point here is that I want to safeguard her from any danger, any harm, any discomfort that may come her way. And I am not the first mother; nor the last. All of us have the same fears, the same apprehensions and the same concerns. So should be the nature of the mothers before us. Yours and mine.
Yes, that old lady must have gone through same paranoiac swings, she must have left her coffee in the middle when I would have wanted to be held; she would have missed her lunch if I were sleeping on her lap; she would have given up on sleep altogether so that I could sleep well. She would have dressed me in the best attire and then put a ‘kaala tikka’ on my face. She would have taken me for a walk when I felt bored, no matter her knees were aching. She would have done all that I would do for my child. I have come to the belief that all mothers are alike.
And for all that I am today – an independent, career woman with oodles of confidence and attitude, it is all because of her. We all owe our existence to our mothers; our lives are nothing but a reflection of what our mothers have made us. I could thank her every day for the rest of my life and it would still not be enough. . So is it too late to thank her for what she has done and still doing as my mother? Maybe, maybe not. But I had to start somewhere, so here it goes.
A Little Thank You Note To My Mother
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- Thank you for watching over me, then and now: Whether it was changing my diapers, cleaning pee and poop, making sure I had food, making me wear clean clothes, saving me from the dangers inside and outside the home, taking care of very small things that meant a lot for me, you have done a fabulous job and no-one could have done it better
- Thank you for making me believe in me, to be where I am today: My choice of academics, my area of interests , my choice of friends, and my decisions of career and relationships, you have always helped me along my walk of faith; no matter how many directions I changed, you were always there for me, with me. You have been my biggest cheer-leader
- Thank you for being my confidant, my closest friend and my pal: I have some deep secrets, the ones that are dark and I cannot let anyone know – but you know them all. Whether it was my first call or the fifth, you were always there with the same enthusiasm, support and patience. Whether it was a breakup, a turbulent life decision or a new chapter, you have been my rock. You have encouraged me and even carried me through when I was convinced I couldn’t go on
- Thank you for showing me right from wrong and instill the confidence to take the right decisions: I may have not liked you telling me I am wrong at times or even spanking me for being a little monster. But now, through all those lessons, I have matured enough to know right from wrong, to understand that respect is not only for others, but also for me, and most importantly, to take the right decisions. I owe it to you, Maa
- Thank you for keeping me grounded when I needed it the most: All those preteen and teen years when I was striving for independence and behaved unreasonably, you kept me grounded. My allowance remained the same and not an extra rupee came my way, even though you could afford so. You never failed in reminding me where I come from and making sure I took a reality check every time I fought for something
- Thank you for making me fiercely independent but still value my family: If I can survive so many years in a corporate world with a family and a good career, it is because you have taught me to balance both my worlds efficiently. I can doll up at family functions, and take to corporate prejudices with equal ease. I know when to mince my words so as to not cause hurt to others, and when to say enough is enough. And because of this, I am as successful in my work life, as I am loved by my family
- Thank you for teaching me to speak my mind, yet be empathetic and kind to others: If I am able to differentiate rudeness from honesty, it is because I have been raised to speak my mind whenever a situation so desires. I know and understand that speaking my mind is one thing, but hurting others on the pretext is unacceptable. You have raised me as an empathetic woman, one who can be firm when it comes to the strength of character and soft and pliable in all my roles
- Thank you for all the inspiration and strength: All I am, and all that I have become – I owe it to you. When I thought you did not understand my struggles, little did I realize you were walking me through them. When I shouted hate words for you, it must have taken the universe’s strength to still love me. And when I was my lowest, you have been the inspiration to carry on
Maa, you have been the most important influencing person in my life and though I have never, and can possibly never thank you enough, I just want to say that I recognize and appreciate all you have done and are still doing for me.
Thank You Maa!
