Reflecting on the past week, where some of our Instagrams and Facebooks were flooded with paragraphs and collages showing how much we love our mothers, I purposely did not write this piece then, because this should serve as a vital reminder that every day is Mother's Day.
Some may say, "oh, wow so cliche.", but can you honestly say that your mother treats any day other than "Children's Day"? That might have been confusing, so here's some elaboration.
My mother has been my superhero since the day I was born. She worked up until the day I was born, and resumed worked shortly after too. She never neglected her responsibilities as a woking member of our home, but she always made sure her newborn baby was taken care of too. Of course, I was way too young to remember any of that now, but I can say that if my mother didn't sing me to sleep, feed me, hold me, and love me the way she did, they is no way we would have the unbreakable bond we have today. She would still come home to feed me when her legs were tired, wake up in the middle of the night to sing me to sleep if I kept tossing and turning, and greeted me every morning with the warmest of hugs and a yummy breakfast. She was superwoman, and I never knew so much energy could exist in one person.
My mother is is my number one supporter. No matter what I do, as long as its the right thing, she supports me. Now, some of you may look at the condition, "as long as its the right thing" and say that is not unconditional love, but I feel that it is the deepest kind of love, maybe one that was unique to me. My mom has always lead me on the righteous path, teaching me how to do the right things, in the right ways, at the right times. I attribute most of my success to that, because not only did she take care of me in the present, but she knew she wanted me to be successful in the future.
My mother would push herself to the limit just to make sure I am okay. There is probably just one moment that I will never forget from my sophomore year of high school. It was late spring, almost June, and final assignments were piled high, and I was about to become the president of two clubs. It was only 12 AM, but my mother was so worried about my lack of sleep, and abundance of stress. While I was doing my work, every hour or so, I would hear my floorboards outside my room creak as she came in to peep to make sure I was okay. I laughed every time, because it was so cute. She couldn't even sleep knowing that I was awake and working. But, after a while, she brought me a snack and stayed up with me until I finished. She was deadbeat tired, but would still stay up to make sure I'm okay.
My mother would open her mind to new things, if it meant helping me. In today's Western-dominated world, growing up as a religious, dharmic Hindu is not an easy feat. Our lives have become so dominated by one set of values, it is often hard to live with another set of values without needing to completely isolate yourself. My mother always encouraged me to be the best I could, and lead a dharmic life. But, when she knew that the choice would be difficult or set me so far apart from others if I did the latter, she would always figure out a way to do what I needed to do in an acceptable way, even if that meant going beyond her comfort zone. This probably sounded weird, so here's an example. Often in high school, I would go away for school trips for a weekend, which included some a great distance from home. Although she never wanted me to stay away from home, she still let me go, because she knew it was something that I found important to my education. She never held me back, instead she supported me and instructed me to do the right thing.
My mother is my role model. Ever since the day I was born, I have been attached to my mother at the hip. Many of you, whom I have been with at social events, know how we are. I am always texting her to let her know where I am, and always getting home early so that she knows I am okay. But, even more than that, I remember the days when my mom would be at work and I would be at home with my grandmother. I used to put on my nicest dress, and grab a pair of her heels from our closet and walk around pretending to be her. I would watch her every morning as she got ready to go to work, and aspire to be as beautiful as her. I would watch her interact with our family and friends, and try to have a heart as beautiful as hers. I always wanted to be her, and I still do.
I will never forget one of the profound things my mother ever said to me. Context: we were in a huge fight, arguing back and forth. And after a point she, who was very upset, said to me, "We shared a breath once. This is what we've come to?". I know the expression is "hit with a ton of bricks", but even that cannot explain what those words meant to me. They brought me full circle.
On that note, I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day, filled with smiles, love, and whatever your mom enjoys most. But, don't forget to love her everyday, because you'll regret it when you look over your shoulder and she's not there anymore.
