In Her Shoes

Come Mother's Day and the blogosphere and the omnipresent and omnipotent Facebook-o-sphere explodes with accolades to Mom. Everywhere you look, there are mentions and photos of breakfasts, flowers, cards and other such really sweet, thoughtful acts that children have taken time out to do for their moms.

This year, with the Mother being around, I wanted to do something special for her on my blog. What would my post be on, I wondered. 

Would it like before, be about the poor Tiger cub a.k.a moi? Somehow, that didn't feel right or appropriate. (As I age, I seem to have begun to to realise that the Universe doesn't revolve around me! A little late in the day, perhaps, but hey, it's always better to be late than to have never realised at all!!! )

I wanted it to be about The  Mother. Of the not too easy relationship we have shared over the years; one that started with all the elements of a Bollywood tear-jerker and a roller coaster in one combo-pack and finally progressed into one of camaraderie and respect. As Life came full circle and I became a mother of two little children, I stepped into her shoes and discovered to my surprise, just how big they were! Today, I have learnt to appreciate all that she did and does; her many amazing qualities and talents don't get overshadowed by my childish biases and I have begun to notice just how much like her I am in many ways and how that pleases me!

And then before I could put my thoughts down, I saw this post on Women's Web, calling for entries for write-ups about Mother's Day. So instead of posting it on my blog, I sent it as an entry to the contest. The write-up was shortlisted and published (Yeeaaaaayyy!!!). 

Here is my write up on Women's Web

Other than the fact that it was my first ever write-up to be published., what made it more special were 2 things ~ 

1. My mother's very emotional response on reading it; my very public acknowledgement of the debt of gratitude and the admiration I have for her today! It's not often that we share these feelings and I am glad I told her what I feel before it is too late!

2. What surprised me was this overwhelming response from friends and strangers alike, each telling me how much they identified with this! 

So here is an excerpt from the article that was published.

IN HER SHOES ~ by Moushumi Palit 

“Mothers can do no right, nor can daughters…..” 

It took me what seemed like eternity, to make peace with my mother! To call our relationship complicated would be about right! 

I was the defiant crusader constantly seeking to wage war against her authority. She was olde worlde - tough, pushy, unyielding and with her emotions under wraps! 

I spent the first two decades of my life defying her and the next decade trying to win her approval. Age brings wisdom, they say. So as I moved into my 30s, came acceptance. Or maybe both of us were just tired of the endless squabbles and decided to call for ceasefire. 

But it is only of late, after becoming a mother to my twins, that I felt something new, something different, something hitherto rare and sporadic in our relationship – admiration and respect for her, my mother. 

I am in her shoes now you see! 

Suddenly I am where she was three and half decades back and the view today is dramatically different from what that rebellious teen saw! 

As I struggle to keep my sanity intact and barely manage to make it through each day with 2 toddlers who unleash destruction like 2 nuclear missiles, I look back to the past and see a woman who managed to raise 3 kids on her own, ran a home without help, got us ready for school each morning, helped us with our home work every evening, was there for every school event, had hot food waiting for us at every meal, grew vegetables in our backyard and encouraged us with our hobbies. 

All this without missing a beat. Without pausing once in a while to say “I need a break! . . . . .

To read the entire article, please visit this link ~  http://www.womensweb.in/articles/lessons-from-ma-story3/

We think our Fathers fools, so wise we grow.

Our wiser sons, will no doubt, think us so.

~ Alexander Pope