Hi, you all beautiful souls – Happy Mother’s Day to you! For fathers, grandparents, uncles, aunts, caretakers, and all who assumed Mother’s role, happy Mother’s Day to you as well.

• When I was born, half dead – My mother was by my side – Working hard day and night to bring me back to life.
• She gave us a good education – She did that because she wanted to make sure that we were not dependent on anyone
• She was there when I had my first period – She taught me how to change the sanitary pads and be hygienic throughout this process
• She was there when I was showing all the teenage girl tantrums – handling me the way she knew best.
• She was there to send me off to a completely new country with full confidence and faith to pursue my education – She envisioned her girls to seek open-mindedness and grow into our own
•  She was there when I had my miscarriage – She, my sis and a good friend helped me get through that tumultuous time of my life
• She was there with me when I delivered my baby – She didn’t know how to speak English, but she was there with me in a taxi and took me to a hospital in a foreign country. She held the fort until my husband traveled back home.
• She was there when I was bringing my baby back home to a new city. She and my dad worked through nights to pack my home and enable our move.
• She was there when I lost my job – she held my hands to help me get up and keep working
• She was there when I had my first breast biopsy
• The list goes on…

 If I come home tired, she will make me a cup of tea or bring me water, just by reading my body language. If I am not able to cook, she will help, without any questions asked. Because she knows that if I am not cooking or doing some work, and sitting in one place, I am too tired. She never seeks any monetary benefits from us. She vehemently says no if we try to give her money. She never asked how much money I make. She is looking out for me genuinely even when she is mad. She brings me a feeling of security and that’s priceless. It’s these little things that make me bow down with gratitude. I am truly blessed to have her in my life. Thanks, Maa!

Now, being a mother, I realize the ups and downs of this journey. And I also realize that no one has to do anything for anyone only because they wear the title ‘MOM’. It’s truly a gift if she decides to dedicate her life in raising you. She assumes that role the day her child shows up. Makes that her sole duty. If you got someone like that, you are damn lucky.

My Dad recently had a heart attack. I saw my mom go in a zone around that time. And that zone had really big signs saying that I was physically and mentally exhausted. I cannot do this anymore. I can’t take care of another human being. At that time, we all were tackling so many practical and emotional issues that I didn’t have time to process. But I remember being mad at her. But now I think that only because she is MOM, she doesn’t need to show up every time with full zeal to take care of her family. This ‘ZONE- of I can’t take care of you anymore’ was gradually being built in the background. Nobody paid attention to what was happening to her. I wanted her to cook when I was hungry, I wanted her to fold clothes when I was enjoying a movie. I wanted her to keep the home spic and span when I had birthday parties. I wanted her to be a good grandmother. I didn’t ask, she wasn’t forced to give either. She did because she loved me, and I didn’t stop to check in on her because that is all I have known ever since I was around her, ‘is to receive’. She didn’t check on herself either because she was young and had the energy to take care of her family, so she did. Nobody taught her to take care of herself, because if she did that, then we were too quick to suggest – you are selfish. And when finally, the day comes, when she throws in the towel, we are again too quick to judge. We didn’t see this coming, while we were the architect of this. If the most caring person in your life says – I am done! It’s time to think critically about the way life is going and its sustainability. Something has to change, otherwise, life will take its course and you might or might not like it, but one thing won’t be there anymore, a caretaker who is genuinely invested in your well-being.

Maa is getting old and tired; she needs time to rest. We cannot ask someone to keep working for us day and night. And just one day in a year celebrate “Mother’s Day” to make them feel happy. It’s the everyday care that shows that I celebrate my life because you are there in it.

There will also come a time when you will have to take care of your mom! If you become too busy, she might or might not complain. But it would be interesting to take stock of your psyche if you choose not to be around her and help in her most vulnerable times.

I wish you all ‘A very Happy Mother’s Day’ I hope you enjoy it with your loved ones. I hope that you celebrate each day with her until the time runs out. A special shout out to people who assumed a mother’s role in someone’s life, you don’t have to be female or male to be a mother. Motherhood is a role that has nothing to do with someone’s gender. So, love you all, it’s because of you such special people, our planet is Awesome.

And last but not least – Happy Mother’s Day to our lovely Planet Mommy – Earth. You sustain us! Thanks so much for that. Please guide us to help you make healthy and happy again.

Best,

Chittu