If I define myself at all, it is as "mother".
Becoming a mother was a life altering experience for me. It was not easy for a Type A personality to accept that precisely nothing was in her control.
Someone who stomped through life with the casual arrogance of one who believed she could do anything soon realised that practically every woman she encountered knew more than her.
It was humbling to know that babies don't come with instruction manuals. Initially, I made flow charts to determine why the baby cried- is he hungry, wet, hot, cold....., or plain fussy. But I soon surrendered them, and started relying on that most in-exact of things-instinct.
Becoming a mother taught me humility. It taught me fear. It taught me compassion.
It made me who I am.
YET, the only thing I do on Mothers' Day is wish my mother and thank her for being my mother.
Because there are many who are not mothers.
There are women who choose not to be mothers.
There are women who want to be mothers but are not able.
There are women who crave to be mothers but their situation forces them to delay.
There are mothers who lost their babies.
There are mothers who lost older children.
There are mothers who chose to abort a child, but still live with the guilt of doing so.
There are children who lost their mothers.
There are adults who lost their mothers.
There are mothers who were never there emotionally for their children
There are mothers who are disappointed in their child
There are mothers who disapprove of their life choices and keep away
Even a relationship as romaticised as the one between a mother and her child, is not always what it is made out to me.
To all those people, Mothers' Day is a travesty. It is a reminder of what they do not have. And a celebration which isn't inclusive isn't worth celebrating.
But, to all the mothers suffering from self doubt (and I doubt if there are too many who do not), I will just quote -
"There's no way to be a perfect mother and a million ways to be a good one."
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