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“I am unable to handle all things properly; I schedule everything but it starts going haywire”
Mothers always tend to be perfectionists, but it takes a toll on their mental and physical health. This short story will help many mothers to ease out a bit.
Shanaya was pleased to see her mother when she arrived to stay with her for a week. After hugging her mother, tears dropped from Shanaya’s eyes. This was unusual as Shanaya and her parents lived in the same city and would meet often. Shanaya’s mother Madhulika sensed something was not right with her daughter. Madhulika was a lady with a strong aura and was a leading professor of soft skills before her retirement.
Shanaya’s son Yuvin made Madhulika visit her daughter more often these days, but this visit was not for Yuvin… it was for Shanaya, as she could make out that Shanaya is worried over something and was not sharing. Madhulika was waiting for the right time to talk to her daughter. Shanaya very carefully prepared meals for her 15-month-old toddler and instructed her helper for each task with minutest of the details. Her mother knew that Shanaya was a perfectionist but also that something was taking a toll on her.
When Yuvin was taking his afternoon nap, Shanaya sat with her mother to chat and simultaneously switched on the laptop to book tickets and hotels for their upcoming vacation with her son for the first time after Yuvin was born.
Madhulika asked Shanaya, “What happened Sanu”, she asked addressing Shanaya with a name she called her with love.
Shanaya took a few seconds and said “Nothing Ma”, and peeped into the laptop with more confusion.
Laptop turned low battery and switched off in a minute, as the charging point was away. Shanaya thought she will do the bookings later discussing with her husband Rajveer once again and sat to chat with her mother.
Madhulika knew Shanaya likes to be talked to the point so she poised the question in a direct tone to her.
“What is bothering you Sanu, you never looked more fixed up? Don’t you practice your music lessons nowadays?
Shanaya after a pause answered, “It’s just that Yuvin has now started walking and touches each piece of the house and I am trying healthy meal options for him; and yes how can I take music lessons when Yuvin is around?” With her last sentence, she kind of choked with tears and was kind of diverting the topic asking about her father’s friends trip to Coorg.
Madhulika patted Shanaya and said it is okay to vent out things by crying, you can discuss with me.
Shanaya said sobbing, “I am unable to handle all things properly; I schedule everything but it starts going haywire”
Madhulika nodded and held Shanaya’s hand compassionately and said: “Today I will give you two secrets of my life and how I managed things that interested me and took care of the household while raising you.”
“Shanaya, you are someone who wants to complete the tasks to perfection. I know you can never let go something until its 100% perfect. It is a good habit but when we have multiple responsibilities and myriad of roles to play we can just let go a few things. “
Firstly prioritize things according to your happiness quotient.
Who told doing something in that particular manner is perfect and doing it other way round is not. There is nothing called perfect in life, bachcha. It is we who set the boundaries of a perfect world. My dear just extend your set of boundaries and look at how everything just fits in. Among the entire role, there are some of your dreams to be fulfilled too. Give that me time to give wings to your dreams. The clothes to be washed can wait for an hour, but your music can’t.”
Secondly, delegate work. Shanaya was about to say a word but her mother silenced her with a nod. “You can delegate work to your helpers with your instructions. Like you prepare meals for Yuvin, so chopping of vegetables and peeling of fruits can be done by your helper, whereas you just cook. You save time and energy and you get time to take music lessons.”
Then Madhulika says, “Let’s start this schedule from tomorrow and shun off troubled perfectionist mamma tag from you.”
Shanaya nodded with agreement and kept her head in mother lap still thinking about the wise words her mother just said.
Image via Pexels
Meenal & Sonal blogger duo wishes to spread the aura of positivity through their writing. They use very simple, pure and unique ways to explain various concepts of day to day activities which easily connect to read more...
This post has published with none or minimal editorial intervention. Women's Web is an open platform that publishes a diversity of views, individual posts do not necessarily represent the platform's views and opinions at all times.
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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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