Here’s to You, Amma!
Mother’s day is not the only day we should make our mothers feel special. But let me confess, like everyone else I take my mother for granted most of the time. So on this Mother’s day, I want to appreciate her for everything she has done for the three of us and thank her for everything she continues to do as well.
Where do I start? I was born on the 29th of August, 2000 which was a Tuesday. Amma continued to work and went to college regularly till the previous Friday, that is the 25th of August (Mind you she took leave that Monday because of another prior engagement :P) Even before I was born, she had lived her life by setting an example for us. She has shown us that it is not necessary to choose between handling her profession and managing a family. She has gracefully and efficiently done both during the past 18 years.
Her normal day begins at around 6 in the morning. She cooks breakfast for the three of us and packs our lunch. I am slightly guilty to admit this, but even now she keeps a clean, ironed pair of uniform on my bed every morning and I merely have to wear it straight after a bath. After this, she picks up a newspaper and reads it while sipping a cup of tea. After we leave, she usually reads some notes for her class to prepare for the portions she has to teach that day or prepare a PPT. Some days she will be busy correcting and rechecking answer sheets and some days she will be busy typing up reports on meetings. Then she gets ready and comes down to have her breakfast.
When we have holidays, we see her first when she comes down to have her breakfast. That is when I am convinced my mother is the most beautiful person on the planet. Her descending down the stairs with the fresh look and an elegant Saree draped around her, is a thing of beauty that will be a joy forever.
All mothers are supermoms and you definitely are one, Amma. She has taken up so many roles and completed it to perfection. There’s not a single subject she couldn’t explain to me when I was in school. Being a Physics Professor with a PhD in Super Conductivity, explaining physics to us was a walk in the park for her. She has taken classes for my friends and cousins over the years as well. But I have also made her write Hindi essays and do the Biology record drawings for me. Anything I want, she is always ready to help. Even now, when I am busy juggling assignments and records, I can always trust you to help me out with something and make sure I finish everything on time.
A year ago, around this time, I wanted to desperately get out of home and learn outside the state. I wanted more freedom, to be away from the rules my parents kept for us. But now, I couldn’t be more glad I chose to stay at home. When college started and I was hit by the initial bout of insecurity and thinking “Why did I take Engineering?” , she became my therapist, almost literally. You can see me at home just saying “Ammaaaa, Amaaaa,” when I am too stressed about something. And that is enough for her to ask “Entha ippo prashnam?” And help me solve my problems. When I think I am not fit for this and not good enough to complete the course, she is constantly there to assure me on how I am doing much better than I think and cite examples to prove this also. I always hug her when I am feeling down. Her embrace makes me forget all my worries. And a hug from Amma is what I would define ‘Home’ as.
The way she has made her career and carried it forward is something I couldn’t be more proud about. Being the Head of the Department and leading the department to win the Kerala State Energy Conservation Award and receiving it from the Minister himself, at the age of 50 is enough proof that you can always keep growing professionally. A Gold Medalist for her Post graduation at Cochin University, she keeps telling me there’s no stop to gaining knowledge. I see her doing an online course on Renewable Energy Sources, watching lectures every day and doing her assignment with sincerity. I am often amused at the kind of effort she puts in to the course, since I have started around 3 courses online and just left it midway. Her passion and her will to do something more and constantly engage herself is what I hope to have at least at some point in life.
Your relationship with Achan and the way you both are still so much in love, makes me believe in a happily-ever-after. The way Achan drops you to college every day or the way he adjusts your Saree for you and the way you both regularly eat together waiting for each other, and calling each other every day from work are the little “Awwwww” moments I witness daily.
Of course, there are times when we both have arguments and silences that last for days. When our views on different matters just do not match. But isn’t that crucial to a mother-daughter relationship? There are times when I am frustrated with her need of cleaning my wardrobe and tables. And there are times, almost every day when she serves me more food than I want and I end up getting really angry. There are a lot of differences in our perspectives because of the ‘Generation Gap’ as well. But as I grow up, I see myself becoming more and more of you Amma and taking in your characteristics. Whether it’s in the way we talk or the way I scold my sisters when you are not around, I am glad I am following your footsteps. If I could become even an ounce of what you are today, I can be satisfied with myself. Here’s to hoping all three of us make you and Achan gush with pride. I love you to infinity, Amma.
