Woman's Day

This Women’s Day, I sit back and recall the three significant females I met in my life and the impact they left on me. First lady that conjures up is my mother – aai. Ever since I started making memories this amazing lady in my life fascinated me, she was my world, her voice was soothing and her face was assuring, ever. As I grew I knew she was a phenomenal lady, she left a budding career for her child, me. She had made her decision in flip second while she was on bed with me, she had got double promotion and a raise but she chose family as full time career. Later on as I saw her and father struggle through the life making ends meet. The way she supported him in his every decision like a firm pillar gave him wings he was free to experiment and be the man he is. I learnt dedication!
The second lady that I learnt to admire as I grew was my granny, my mother’s mom. She’d lived a life of struggle, her mother died at her birth and she was left to be nursed by step mother who happened to be out of Cinderella fairy tale. But just like the tale a handsome prince married her when she was 14 or may be 15; those were times when no one kept account of ages. Her prince brought her to the dream city of Mumbai and they lived happily; they had five angels – two sons and three daughters. Unfortunately, the happily ever after ended soon after the birth of the fifth child, their son. Being uninformed and uneducated she coiled back to a small house from her father in law, unaware of the pensions or life insurance monies. She raised her five kids on her own struggling from hand to mouth but giving best of education to each child. Her children were brilliant and got settled in their life sooner. She was happy but her happiness lasted only to see death of her eldest son. Her struggle won her and life slowly left her – I learnt life isn’t always fair but we still struggle!
The third lady that met in my youth is this wonderful Irish lady. She came off this small time village in Ireland, with servitude towards ill and ailing. She met her man and married only to be subject of domestic violence and abuse. She gave birth to two wonderful girls and finally gave up on the man who was her husband when she could take it no more. The girls grew up to be wonderful lass’s but blamed mother for incomplete parenthood telling her she married a wrong person and eventually moved out. The lady however through all this never gave up on servitude; she became a wonderful nurse with NHS and till date nurses the old and ill with an angelic smile. Recently I happened to see her when she celebrated her 40 years of being nurse, she told me she was satisfied as she did act on her calling when I wished her she surprised me by a book on her city, “Sudershan dear, this is a picture book of my city show it to your children and tell them about me and my city” – I learnt to love regardless of how life treats you!
These and many such wonderful women in my life who taught me to live and love the people around me regardless of what I received. I salute to these and all the relentless females who not only brought us in this world but also nurtured us to be the men we are!