A few days ago, my male colleagues planned a surprise party for all the women in the team. While everyone assembled, the host of the ceremony randomly picked a guy and asked him, “What is your view of women?” He replied, “I lost my mother when I was very young. I miss her. I have great
respect for women for being a wonderful ‘Mother’ and giving life to an entire family, not just their children.” Being a mother of two myself, I could relate to how that guy felt and said a silent prayer for his mother.
Our families play a major role in who we become as individuals. The biggest influence in any family is the mother. My mother is the first entrepreneur I grew up watching, long before I realised what an ‘entrepreneur’ meant. As a kid, I was extremely naughty. I would lie sometimes, steal dry fruits from the kitchen and sought Rs 1 as bribe to go to school every day (Oh yeah, I did these things J). I don’t remember a single time when she endorsed any of my wrong doings. She was brutally strict when it came to raising me along with my two sisters. She set very high standards for character early on, in my childhood.
When I was in grade 6, I met with an accident. While going to school, I accidentally put my leg into the wheel spokes of the cycle, which my cousin was riding. This left me motionless for four months. She took great care of me during those painful days. Every time, I cried with pain, I remember her comforting me, a little after which she would run to the kitchen and cry a lot. I can’t remember anyone else praying for my well-being ever, like she did.
Three qualities I want to imbibe from my mother are:
- Limitless compassion
For the last 30 years, of what I remember of my mother, she has always cooked extra meals for at least one person on a daily basis. While my father breaks his head about minimalism at his best, my mother has served the poor and the needy in her own way. If she believes in something, she is sure to do it. Charity begins at home and she is a testimony to us, in our home.
- Greatest positive influence
My mother’s drive for excellence, with regard to cleanliness, at home is compelling. It doesn’t end
there. She excels in everything she does – be it the scores of weddings she has led, for our relatives, or the counselling she has given to struggling couples or the stories she shares with teenagers about how they should see their future. Given her life on earth until now, of being a wonderful and selfless person, her nature makes anyone, just anyone, listen to her, with love and respect. This is because she is extremely resilient in times of trouble. I have not once seen ‘trouble’ get her best. It’s always been the other way round!
- Unconditional love
Not once in my life, have I seen someone who can selflessly love complete strangers who are in pain or facing their share of struggles. Showering love on your family and relatives is one thing. But doing the same to people who you don’t know is another. In today’s materialistic world, where we are constantly judging each other, my mother comes across as someone who loves people, irrespective of their past, their current doings or their future plots (if any). While I have constantly told her not to trust people so easily, I have often thought,
“If I happen to meet God one day, he would perhaps be like her!”
To summarise, when we are young, we love playing with our mother. When we turn into teenagers, we mistake their unconditional love for controlling nature and snub them. As we grow older and become mothers’ ourselves, we leave them. This is when we learn, what our mothers have truly done for us and what they went through to nurture us. No matter what, a mother will always be there and will give away everything just to make the world around her, be happy. This mothers’ day, take the opportunity to appreciate your mother. Not just for one day, but for the rest of the days in your lives.
My mother is not my role model anymore, she is my God!
Amma, I promise you that I shall lead a life you’ll be proud of!
(Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of YourStory.)