Happy Mothers' day!

When Anna Jarvis campaigned to have the second Sunday in May recognized as “Mother’s day”, she probably didn’t anticipate how commercialized this day would turn into! In fact, seeing every business from restaurants, salons, baby and clothing stores to maternity hospitals cashing in on what is supposed to be a simple appreciation day, it almost seems clichéd or contrived to wish “Happy Mother’s day” to your own mother! Well, to me, today is the day to express gratitude for all those annoying “mothering” moments, while at the same time hoping that your little one would probably feel the same about your own “mothering”moments of today! We are constantly introspecting over the choices we make as moms and its impact on our little ones and I am now beginning to understand what my mother went through over the choices she made or decisions she took concerning me. For instance, it may begin with “Am I feeding him/her enough?” or “Should we take him to the doc or wait for another day?” and grow into "Will this job-change affect him?" or “Am I being too harsh with him?” or “Is this the right school for him?” or “Is this extra-curricular activity too much for him to handle?”and progress into “Will this be a good career choice for him?” or "Is she the right one?" and eventually evolve into “Am I being pushy?” or “Should I just let go?” – in all asking ourselves the same question “Am I doing the right thing for my baby?” So I guess today is the day you can put to rest all those self doubts your mother has had while raising you with a simple “Thank You”! ....... So...thanks amma for the choices you made!

Celebrating Motherhood- Three Generations of mothers (My own mother is missing from this picture though!)

You may be a mother of nine (in case of our grandma) or a mother of two (in case of my mother-in-law and my sister-in-law or a mother of one (that’s my mother and me!), you cannot but agree that you play a pivotal role your child’s life! So on mother’s day I read “My Mother” by Jaya Jaitley, art and pictures by Bahadur Chitrakar, a Level 2 bilingualEarly reader brought out by Pratham publications. Set in rural West Bengal, a little boy describes a day in the life of his Ma who toils for her family. She wakes up very early in the morning to fetch water from a hand pump in the village prompting the boy to dream of becoming a mechanic so as to be able to repair the pump for his mother. Besides cooking and cleaning, Ma is clever enough to help them with their lessons and narrate magical stories that never end as they all fall asleep before she finishes! At end of the day, when Ma’s work is done, she sits down to paint pictures just like her mother did as it makes her happy! I loved illustrations that are designed in traditional Kalighat Parichitra style that are both vibrant and authentic to its setting. A simple and sincere narrative by a little boy who is full of gratitude for his home without his mother would not be the same!! Well....its the same for all of us, isnt it? To all moms......Happy Mother’s day!