It was a rainy Monday morning and all kids had to display their creativity in the Craft Exhibition at school. My creativity amalgamated with my father’s dexterity manifested into a model of Qutub Minar made of lineated cardboard. My supportive mother accompanied me to school to carry my monument prototype. My mother thanked her stars to have had an opportunity to inform Ms. Louisa, my 2nd standard class teacher regarding my incomplete notebooks.Ms. Louisa always impressed with my hand-writing, chose to ignore my calligraphy skills that day and summoned me before the class to accept my mother’s statement, apologize for my mistake and correct myself. I proudly denied; I accused my mother for falsely complaining, I disapproved of correcting myself.
There was just one statement Ms. Louisa ever said...
“Do you think your MOTHER would EVER lie about you???All she wants is your bright future!”
The whole world around me came crashing down, the fake face of mine melted in moments, the false proud feeling proved to be ephemeral. This Buddha like enlightenment in my life etched a strong impression about women, motherhood and the mother child “fevicol” bonding.
As a six year old mildly dyslexic child, I realized, all I had to aim for in life was “To Make Mummy Proud”. It ingrained internally that making parents proud would take me greater heights.
Being a dutiful working mother, she raised me judiciously. Her sculpting shots shaped me into a model child respected in the society, win the BEST STUDENT ACHIEVER awards at high school, win NATIONAL LEVEL SCIENCE competitions and now be a part of one of the GREAT PLACES TO WORK FOR.
You cannot return what your parents have done for you... Especially your mother…
Still, Have I made my mother proud!!! Yes...
Maybe Not Proud Enough…
