1. I am just as capable as a man, if not more.

From a very young age, I have been taught that a woman can do everything a man can do. In a world where we find gender inequality, I have been blessed that in my life, I have been held to the same standards, and been respected in the same manner as the opposite gender. My mother always insisted I master the skills that society deemed were a “man’s job”, not because she wanted me to be better, but because she saw me as an equal.

2. Self-respect is the most important thing.

Over the years, if there is one thing that my mom has constantly repeated, that has stuck with me, it is this: self-respect is yours and it is not anyone else’s right to take it away from you. My mother has always taught me to respect others, but by starting with myself first. She said, “If you respect yourself, others will respect you.” It is from my mother that I have learned self-respect is what makes a woman strong and resilient against all that stands to bring her down.

3. A man will never complete me, only I will.

This one is my favorite lesson, because it has always motivated me to make something of myself. She says, “Don’t be dependent on anyone, but yourself. If you find dependency within yourself, you will realize that you don’t need anyone else to fulfill your wishes and desires.” Growing up, she never emphasized the need for another person to complete me; she always believed that a woman should complete herself. In fact, as I think of this lesson, I can hear her saying, “Be Vaibhavi Talati first, before you are someone else’s”. I’ve been blessed not only to have a caring mother, but also someone who has taught me to never undermine myself or give up on my dreams.

4. Balance is everything.

As cliché as this sounds, this is probably the most useful lesson she has taught me. Whether it is school or work, or eventually a family, she has taught me that if you learn to balance the different aspects of life, you will manage to enjoy every task for which you are responsible. In fact, I remember when she would often force me go to the movies, play outside, or go out with my friends, after studying for long hours, because she believed that hiding behind a book wouldn’t teach me about the world, but rather that experiencing it would.

5. Someone will marry me, even if the Rotlis I make are not round.

It sounds funny, but she always believed in the thought that, if you excel in your education and manage to build a career, everything else will fall into place. She has taught me the importance of sharing the load and building myself as a person. She always says, “Beta, he should fall in love with your intelligence and personality, not with the level of your cooking expertise.” It is this thought and many others that have shaped me as a strong individual. In this day and age, we often see the pressure on women to learn the housework or the cooking, but it is from my mother that I have learned that there is more to a woman that just her cooking skills.

This is to you mom, for empowering me and building in me the passion of self-love. It is because of you and the lessons you have taught me, that I stand so strongly for gender equality and women empowerment.