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As a 60-year old, all I want is a grandchild. As a mother, is that too much to ask for from my only daughter?
In a couple of years or so I shall be stepping into my 60s.
In the twilight of my life, I feel changes sweeping all over my persona, my very being.
That I am growing more and more sentimental with every passing day is fairly palpable.
A fairly recent development is a longing to have a grandchild. Yes, I am terribly fond of children. I adore their simplicity, honesty, and innocence-often interspersed with bouts of unalloyed affection. This intense love may be traced to my DNA. Both my parents were extremely fond of the little ones throughout their lives.
As a matter of fact, my dad was virtually the “Chacha Nehru” (the venerable first Prime Minister of India) for all children in our family, friends, or neighborhood circles. He would run around, play with them, indulge in innocent pranks and tricks, and “freak out” as much as possible.
My mother’s attitude towards kids in general was muted, a tad subdued. She never expressed her emotions in words, but at the sight, touch, or sound of a child, her face would light up with a strange glow, at once motherly and divine. As for me, nothing affords me greater pleasure than having lots of children around me. I enjoy peeping into the joyful, wondrous microcosm of their minds to escape the crass realities of the big bad world.
Why am I writing all this? For the simple reason that a good number of women in my peer group – colleagues, friends, and cousins included – have become grannies. Am I jealous? Nah! I only wish to enjoy this ‘elevated’ status.
However, the problem is that my sole offspring who has just stepped into her 30s is not planning to marry any time soon, like the bulk of “obedient” desi girls. She is totally focused on her career and harbours several dreams, but shaadi is not one of them.
No amount of coaxing, cajoling, persuasion, or emotional blackmail by me or her Papa is going to make her walk to the mandap. Her dry humour surfaces when she asks us to hang on until she begins to earn more and gets stabilized after which she can think of adopting a kid or two. I am not sure if that will happen while I am alive.
So, as of now, I regale myself by keenly following the innumerable videos, clips, and shorts on infants and toddlers that flood social media (chiefly Facebook & Instagram). The brilliant camera work, vivid capturing of ‘baby’ sounds and activities – cooing, gurgling, crying, crawling and more–truly make my day!
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Am a trained and experienced features writer with 30 plus years of experience .My favourite subjects are women's issues, food travel, art,culture ,literature et all.Am a true feminist at heart. An iconoclast 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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