Happy Mother's Day

It was Mother's Day yesterday. Twitter was full of greetings and I had never felt so close to memories about my mother like I did yesterday. I thought a lot about the concept of 'Mother' and felt thankful to God that I have a wonderful, loving mother who helped shape and ignite my ambition to excel at work. My mother had spent most of her time with us till I was a teenager and then she realized that she wanted to do something very meaningful in her own private space. It was not about leaving her duties but about discovering what she was good at and working to hone those skills. I really admire that about my mother.

I went to a school full of rich kids. They carried foreign chocolates in their bags, carried expensive perfumes and accessories and showed off their lifestyles. It made me feel quite plain. At the time, I remember my mother telling me, "Being beautiful or rich is not as important as believing in God and doing the right thing. Those who are proud or arrogant should think of God and be humbled. Your professional career is more important than anythingelse. Your work proves your identity, tells the world what you are capable of and that is what is most important in life."

I believe that I am focused about my work because of my mother's words and insistence that I excel in my own way. I will never stop thanking my mother for her simple, priceless wisdom. Her values and teachings have always influenced me but she has never ever forced her 'rules' on me.

When I got married, she didnt cry and nor did I. We knew that marriage cannot change the love that already is there since the day I was born. We felt happy for each other that the unconditional love we share shall always remain. When my son was born, she cried like a child because she said this was God's gift to her.

No matter what I do, my mother has never questioned me because she always believes I will do the right thing. Mummy always loved my friends, whether they were boys or girls. She treats all my friends with equal love and respect. She has never been a nosy mom. She always has amazing confidence in me and believes that I will never betray her trust in me.

In all these years, believe it or not, my mother has never raised her voice to me. I have never raised my voice to her. We've been with each other in silent love and she has always been my anchor to the right kind of values and principles. She gave me freedom when I needed it and not advice, which I dislike totally. We don't verbalize these feelings. We know and respect the fact that it's there, binding us to one another.

Even though I have become a mom myself, my mother still calls me, 'her sweet sixteen girl' and she is very proud of the person that I have become.

Looking back, it occurs to me that some of my most valuable lessons in lif were shown to me by my mother and not said. Like her faith in God, her compassion to those who are in difficulty, her ability to love those who are not 'socially acceptable' and her simple, sacrificing nature. All along, she has been my role model in ways that she can't imagine, in words that I can't tell but through her, I learnt all that is important about being a good woman.

A few things my Mother instilled in me from her own actions:
1. Hard work is the best education you get.

2. Wealth is just a necessary evil. Don't focus your life on wealth. Focus on learning.

3. Pray everyday for strength to face the tests that God puts your way everyday.

4. Selfishness is as great a sin to God as cheating or lying. Think and feel for others around you.

5. Kindness and compassion are greater than any religion.

6. Call God by any name but if you can't love those who are poor, needy and helpless, there is no point in calling out to God.

Friends, Happy Mother's Day to all of you.