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Several silver linings hide behind the crazy chaos of motherhood. Here is a list of the perks of being a mother, in case you've forgotten!
Several silver linings hide behind the crazy chaos of motherhood. Here is a list of the perks of being a mother, in case you’ve forgotten!
When five years ago, on a cool November day, a little bundle was placed next to me, it marked the end of a long wait. The longest ever till then, for a single goal – to become a mother. Though tired after the long struggle of birthing, I was happy to become the member of the elite club of mothers. From that moment on, I began to discover the special privileges entitled to a member of the exclusive and royal the club that I had joined.
All the members were entitled to receive:
All living beings crave for love. When one is at the receiving end of a special kind of love that is unconditional, it is the best reward of being a mother. Just being a mother entitles you to receive a lifetime of love from the little person who starts to call you mother.
Becoming a mother makes you realize that you are capable of giving unconditional love as well. No matter how much pain you underwent to give birth, no matter that you have lost count of the number of sleepless nights you have spent, you suddenly find yourself loving the miniature you with all your heart. No complaints or regrets at all.
When you have a little person with you, you start to garner more respect. You are doing the toughest job on earth according to Oprah Winfrey. You earn respect the proper way. People get up to give you seat on public transport and when travelling with family, you get the best facilities possible. All are eager to help you do your job. An unparalleled sympathy hangs in the year. They all understand the sleepless nights and tiring days that you put in to raise your little one.
Starting from the first cry that you hear from your little one, every syllable that falls from your little one’s mouth fills your heart with joy. The meaningless babble makes you smile. The cuddles, or even an unexpected pee or a poo become a source of joy. Watching him/her take the first baby steps fills your heart with joy and pride. When you watch them perform their first song on stage and you realize that there are tears of joy in your eyes. At every stage of their growth, you realize happily that they are becoming a person who you can take pride in naming as your own. You become happy to be known as A’s mother.
After becoming a mother, friendships become stronger. There will most commonly be that one friend that you become closer to, who is able to advise you in times of need. This friend is one who has gone through the slippery dance of parenting, where one slip can cost more than you ever thought was possible. That clever tip to wean your child, the tip to make him eat more and the recipe of that tasty dish your little one loves – all have a common origin in her.
She advises you about the perils that await you at each stage, and you are well prepared to combat the little monster tantrums that you might find yourself trapped into suddenly. You find a venting point for your anger, your frustration, and at times to bitch about your husband’s lack of brain when it comes to parenting!
There is no dearth of humor in a mother’s life. Most importantly, you learn to laugh at yourself and take life less seriously. The visits to the beauty parlor are almost ‘never’, the pediatrician is mostly on the speed dial of your phone. You call yourself ‘the tigress who has earned her stripes’ showing the stretch marks on your tummy. When your husband tries to take credit for the intelligence or smartness of your kid, a small phrase “But I gave birth” ensures that the bragging ends right there.
No matter how many followers you have on Twitter or on Facebook, this one follower is enough for them all put together. When your kid follows you everywhere, you feel like a celebrity. When you do that impossible thing (mostly opening a jam bottle) with ease, you have earned a follower for life. They acknowledge to your husband “mummy knows it the best”.
When you tell them that a two added to two makes four, they believe it without questioning. They will surely argue with their teacher when she says that two multiplied by two makes four. What a silly teacher! Mommy always knows best. Mommy has an IQ equal to Einstein. How dare anyone question that?!
Once you become a mother, you do not need rack your brains too much to find an excuse to escape out of a tricky situation. The presence of the little angel in your life is a lifesaver many a times. No one dares suspect your justification. You have the perfect excuse to order a carton of ice cream or fried chicken because your little one loves it (?). Does anyone question that? Not even your husband!
Starting with push-ups, jogs, fast-medium-slow running, various yoga postures and breathing techniques, you begin to master many exercises which, unknown to you, does wonders for your heart, lungs, and the general muscle build up. Your response- time, hearing capability and sense of touch are at their best. You owe it to your little baby.
“Mom, I want you to hug me so that I feel better” is a dialogue that is often heard in my house. A hug is the most calming thing in the world. It feels like magic. Not only the baby, but also you yourself benefit from this caring gesture. Scientists say that hugs are a form of communication. They say things which you find difficult to express through words.
Ah..I know you are confused. Becoming a mother makes you go time-travelling. You can go to that moment when you first held your precious bundle, or to the time he/she started to ride the bicycle, frequently alone and sometimes accompanied by other loved ones of your family. Memories start to become more colorful.
I am sure there are many more. Do share yours!
This post was first published here.
Preethi Venugopala is a Civil Engineer by profession and an artist and writer by passion. Her love for English language manifested into a postgraduate degree in English Literature. She is a published author and her read more...
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UP Boards Topper Prachi Nigam was trolled on social media for her facial hair; our obsession with appearance is harsh on young minds.
Prachi Nigam’s photo has been doing the rounds on social media for the right reasons. Well, scratch that- I wish the above statement were true. This 15-year-old girl should ideally be revelling in her spectacular achievement of scoring a whopping 98.05% and topping her tenth-grade boards. But oddly enough, along with her marks, it’s something else that garners more attention – her facial hair.
While the trolls are driving themselves giddy by mocking this girl who hasn’t even completed her school yet, the ones who are taking her side are going one step ahead – they are sharing her photoshopped pictures, sans the facial hair, looking nothing less than a celebrity with captions saying – “Prachi Nigam, ten years later”.
Doctors have already diagnosed her with PCOD in their comments, based on photographic evidence. While we have names for people shamed for their weight – body shaming, for their skin colour- racism, for their age- age shaming, for being a female- sexism, this category of shaming where one faces criticism for their appearance has no name. With that, it also has zero shame attached to it.
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