When a girl gets married, many things change. Her family gets extended and she is expected to look after not just her husband, but that extended family too. Well, it is hard work but she gets through somehow. But, when she steps into motherhood, her entire world goes topsy-turvy, because of another individual’s entry into her life. An individual, her own flesh and blood, that demands her constant attention! It demands, demands and demands; giving only wails, gurgles or giggles ( at times ) back. This individual can really stress one out as it grows each day, because, the list of its demands too grows and how. And, as a mother is the one closest to this individual, the onus to fulfill those demands mostly fall on her. A mother lives and breathes every moment for her kids. After giving birth, a mother's life is no longer theirs, its controlled by the whims and fancies of the tiny individual – her baby. I am one such individual who has perhaps demanded the most from my mother since my childhood ( or birth perhaps ). And she has patiently tried to fulfill all of those; and at times, even the most weirdest and outrageous of demands too. My mother never experienced her own mother, as my grandmother had left for her heavenly abode when she ( i.e my mother ) was barely 7-8 yrs old. She had herself never knew what was motherly-love in a large family of 10 siblings, so when she herself became a mother, her sole endeavour has been to be the best mother possible ( via trial and error & hands-on method ) to both me and my sister. And I must say she has succeeded! For someone who never had her own mother all through her growing years, she has not left a single stone unturned, to make us well looked after, giving good values and being always there. As a child, she had many unfulfilled dreams that she tried to fulfill through us. She loved music, dance and art, so as she could never pursue those herself, she enrolled both me and my sister early on in these extracurricular artistic activities and took great interest in our progress. My mother has been a working-mom throughout her life. Every morning, she’d hurriedly wake up, clean the house, prepare breakfast/tiffins for us all, send us off to school, then get ready herself and go to her office. Those days we had no maid, so my mother slogged day-in and day-out. In the evenings too, she’d prepare dinner for the entire family, do the day’s laundry, water her plants, go to the bazaar to buy vegetables/ groceries etc. There was hardly a moment when she got time for herself to relax. On top of it all, our house was situated in a steep hillock, so, as if doing house-hold chores wasn’t enough, she had to climb up and down the hill everyday three-four times whether while going to office or the market or doing some other errands. No rickshaws/ autos would agree to drive up the steep hill, so it was very tiring, that led her to having blood-pressure and heart problems, later on. As I’m recollecting those days, I must admit here, we had taken her hard-work for granted. As kids, we didn’t realize what she was going though. We barely helped, cos’ we used to think our mother was a super-woman. But that’s far from reality, we realize that now as we are more matured. I’d like her to spend the rest of her life totally stress-free. But a mum is a mum, is a mum after all. Even after us kids, having moved to other cities ( with my sister married as well ) with work/career etc, my mother still worries about our well being. Till today, she calls me up every other day only to ask if I’m having my food & sleep regularly or not. I’d really like her to live for herself now. Relax…pursue her own hobbies ( the ones she sacrificed for us ), worry less, go on vacations, pamper herself. Talking about pampering, a luxurious & soothing massage by Parachute Advsansed Aromatherapy Oil will do wonders for her I feel, and make her a truly #StressFreeMom :-) |
Winning post of Parachute #StressFreeMom contest in association with BA
Hi Nandini,
ReplyDeleteYour mother and my mother seem twin, soul twin perhaps. You have covered almost all mothers in your blog-posts.