Mother's day.....

Mother's Day is a celebration honouring our mother, motherhood and the maternal bonds. From times immemorial mothers have been given that special status not only because they bear us for nine months but also because of the unconditional love they have for their children.
Hindu tradition upholds mothers, fathers and gurus as Gods. Daily veneration for them is part of our tradition. However internationally Mother's day is celebrated in the month of May.
Amma, maa, mom, ammi, moder, mutter, call her by any name, the word resonates feelings of love, affection, warmth, care and concern. The relationship between mother and child is an unbroken bond which begins from conception through the umbilical cord. The cord is the lifeline of the foetus since it carries blood, food and oxygen from the mother to the womb . It actually gets cut off after our birth but continues to remain as that empty space on our navel. The extra nine months to our relationships makes it more special.
On the 13th May I found myself experiencing two different emotions. One, a sense of joy for being mother to a lovely child and the second of being a daughter to my mother who has passed away recently.
Whether I am at home or travelling my parents never fail to call and wish me on all important occasions. This mother's day, for the first time in my life I did not receive that call from my mother wishing me.....neither was it possible for me to communicate with her except mentally.
The colour of my skin at birth was apparently a cause of concern for my maternal grandmother. I remember my mother sharing this jokingly with me a couple of times. My mother and her family had this boon (?) of being light- skinned and light eyed which neither me nor my siblings had. Yet each one of us was nurtured with confidence. The colour of our skin became secondary and our innate qualities primary.
That was the greatest strength of our upbringing by our parents.
My mother who was born in a remote village called Thillaiyamboor of Vallaingamaan, in Kumbakonam district of Tamilnad had barely passed the 5th standard. However she was extremely sharp and intelligent. No wonder she learnt by rote many of the Tamil and Sanskrit religious texts and shlokas by hearing them from her grandfather. She also learnt to read and write English. Many times she would read out important headlines from the newspapers and also keep me updated with latest news connected to my work.
Getting married to my father who working as an Electric Foreman at Mumbai and shifting from Tamilnad to Mumbai must have been culturally challenging. Yet she seemed to have taken it in her stride. My father was soon transferred to a small town Bhusawal. Traversing there must have been more daunting. Apparently she took that too in her spirit, adjusted to the new world, learnt a new language, Hindi and managed to raise us well into successful beings. All this without any frills or fuss.
I understood the value of being a mother on the birth of my son. The sacrifices made by my mother and father to ensure that we received the best gained new light.
Mother's day , was therefore a day for introspection, when I mulled over several memories, remembered tender moments and felt thankful. I also felt little about some moments when I had caused her pain. So many of us take our parents for granted and overlook all that they do for us till we lose them.
On Mother's day I was engulfed with a sense of loss due to my mother's absence. This blog is dedicated to her and the undying spirit she instilled in me. I wish all of us do not single out a day to celebrate Mother's day but celebrate each day of our life as Mother's day because each one of us owes our life to our mother......