Especially when the beauty emanates from a pure soul—that of a mother! She is the nurturer who teaches you to give and love selflessly. When I look back at the memories of my mother, I can’t help but feel deep love, gratitude and respect for her. A postgraduate in Hindi, a kathak exponent; she was an adept homemaker. Yes that role which we normally belittle with a dismissive gesture of a hand. Now with my own family, I know that her work was the toughest 24X7 job in the world.
My father, unlike today’s dads, went to work and brought the bacon home but was pretty much clueless otherwise. My mother singlehandedly handled the home and the hearth. They complemented each other beautifully and shared a loving, respectful relationship. It was mom who took charge of every occasion, festival and gathering and made a success out of it. She was the anchor that held our home together strong and close knit. She was stoic, resilient and dignified!
She was a passionate cook. She showed me the importance of cooking with love, of making lovely innovative meals for the family and of making occasions out of those meals. She herself belonged to a small town but was liberal in her thinking. I never heard her utter the “a girl cannot do this” line to either me or my sister. Heck, she went out and bought me my first miniskirt! She never initiated me into the kitchen or in other girlie chores unlike other Indian homes. She did not bat an eyelid when I had to travel alone for days on end when I took up a job.
Born in an affluent family, she showed us that she could live on a government officer’s salary. She showed us how to live within our means surrounded as we were by the contrasting South Bombay affluence.
In her prime, she was afflicted by a severe skin disease. An extremely beautiful lady, her external appearance was now flawed. It could have left a lesser woman shattered and turned her bitter. But, she took people’s overt grimaces and revulsion in her stride. She also suffered a debilitating stroke in her early 40s but clawed back to recovery despite severe paralysis, disability and depression. She showed us how to handle adversity and life’s challenges with courage.
Yes, mom loomed large with her kindness and her love especially for those less fortunate like maids and their daughters even nasty relatives.
She left us 12 years ago at age 52! Her memories continue to nourish my soul and guide me just like she had nurtured me with her love and wisdom.
She did not need to accumulate a bank balance to prove her worth. Her work of raising a loving, beautiful family speaks for itself. She was truly ‘As beautiful as her work!’ And she excelled at her work of nurturing lives. Ma, there can be no one like you ever!
Rachna says 
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