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We expect women to be always ‘nice’ and smiling, and ‘good’ daughters, wives, mothers,… but what about her? She is human, and has just as much as a right as others to just be… herself!
You don’t have to be always alright Sometimes, it is okay to not be nice For being honest about what you feel Dear woman, don’t apologize
You don’t have to do it all Everything you don’t have to supervise For getting that me-time to relax Dear woman, don’t apologize
You don’t have to be superwoman Not always you need to aim for the skies For wanting to stay grounded Dear woman, don’t apologize
It is fine if something gets missed You don’t have to be up at sunrise For a few minutes of extra sleep Dear woman, don’t apologize
It is okay to ask questions You don’t have to read every one’s eyes For not having the psychic powers Dear woman, don’t apologize
Take time out for yourself To read, write, create or exercise For having to put yourself first Dear woman, don’t apologize
Wear what you want, do as you please Don’t fall prey to the rolling eyes For wanting to be yourself Dear woman, don’t apologize
You are more than enough Don’t let them reduce you to a size For having a unique body Dear woman, don’t apologize
You are not the weaker sex For nothing you have to compromise For not being a man Dear woman, don’t apologize.
A version of this was first published here.
Image source: a still from the movie Naam Shabana
A bibliophile with a quest for writing, I'm a techie by day. An eternal optimist and a feminist, I believe that once we achieve equality, we can achieve anything in this world. I firmly read more...
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I huffed, puffed and panted up the hill, taking many rest breaks along the way. My calf muscles pained, my heart protested, and my breathing became heavy at one stage.
“Let’s turn back,” my husband remarked. We stood at the foot of Shravanbelagola – one of the most revered Jain pilgrimage centres. “We will not climb the hill,” he continued.
My husband and I were vacationing in Karnataka. It was the month of May, and even at the early hour of 8 am in the morning, the sun scorched our backs. After visiting Bangalore and Mysore, we had made a planned stop at this holy site in the Southern part of the state en route to Hosur. Even while planning our vacation, my husband was very excited at the prospect of visiting this place and the 18 m high statue of Lord Gometeshwara, considered one of the world’s tallest free-standing monolithic statues.
What we hadn’t bargained for was there would be 1001 granite steps that needed to be climbed to have a close-up view of this colossal magic three thousand feet above sea level on a hilltop. It would be an understatement to term it as an arduous climb.
Every daughter, no matter how old, yearns to come home to her parents' place - ‘Home’ to us is where we were brought up with great care till marriage served us an eviction notice.
Every year Dugga comes home with her children and stays with her parents for ten days. These ten days are filled with fun and festivity. On the tenth day, everyone gathers to feed her sweets and bids her a teary-eyed adieu. ‘Dugga’ is no one but our Goddess Durga whose annual trip to Earth is scheduled in Autumn. She might be a Goddess to all. But to us, she is the next-door girl who returns home to stay with her parents.
When I was a child, I would cry on the day of Dashami (immersion) and ask Ma, “Why can’t she come again?” My mother would always smile back.
I mouthed the same dialogue as a 23-year-old, who was home for Durga Puja. This time, my mother graced me with a reply. “Durga is fortunate to come home at least once. But many have never been home after marriage.”
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