The Promise

I was not old enough to understand the sacrifices my mother made all her life for me. I never paused to think of how tough it would've been to bring me up. I was a rowdy growing up :) It never occurred to me that the beautiful women who brought me up have given away so much. My mom, whose life has been dedicated for her only son; My grandmother, whose stories and interpretations of Krishna and Rama are now part of my DNA; my aunt who gave everything she had to the 3 rascals (my brothers and I); the domestic help we had at home who used to sit hours in front of my crib rocking it so that I would sleep... all of them have made me who I am today, given me every shred of love they had and continue to give me everything they have. Never before have I really understood their love as much as I do today - thanks to the Gold biscuit I have now @ home Aadya 😊

I stayed with Mytri @ the hospital through the 28 hour labor she went through. I saw her endure 28 hours of non-stop pain, the likes of which she has never faced in her life. I couldn't stand it, it was unbearable to watch and I can only imagine how it would have felt to withstand it. But Mytri stood strong and magically, from deep within, she found the resilience and courage neither of us knew she had, to withstand the pain. When Aadya was born, all our attention shifted to the baby. It took me a while to realize that I had forgotten the last 28 odd hours in a few seconds and moved on from the pain to joy in an instant. I felt guilty, but Mytri was not complaining, instead she wanted me to promise that I will always protect our daughter and hold her dear. I realized for the first time how amazing a Mother is!

Mytri's life has turned completely upside down now. She gets 2 hours at a stretch - to eat, sleep and to live her life. Then she has to take position and feed the baby. Sometimes Aadya eats quick and sleeps early. Other days she is a devil 😈 I lose patience when she cries, when she fusses too much, when she takes more time and energy out of us to calm down.. But Mytri stays calm throughout. Whether it takes 1 hour or 5, she is there... patient, loving, calming, sure of what the baby wants. I realized again how amazing a Mother is!

When we talk of the days ahead, I discuss with Mytri on where I should sleep, which room I should work from, how to balance work and home, who should cook and what to cook... she talks about where to hang the crib for the baby, when to feed her, when to switch to solid food, which doctor to fix, which school and what type of education we should provide for her... Mytri's thoughts are unwavering, its on the child and its embedded in her soul. I realized again how amazing a Mother is!

I held them both in my arms and I can see their calm in my arms. But the truth is, it is the mother, Mytri who is holding us both safe. It is she who is giving away parts of her life to me and Aadya, so that ours can remain whole. One half of my life is my mother's and the other half, which is holding the child safe, is Mytri's.

Today, I understand what a mother truly means. What a mother goes through in her life. Aadya is showing us all what it takes to be a mother. Mytri is showing me why I should never let go of the lovely women in my life.

I remember my promise and I will stand by it forever.

Happy Mother's day to all the lovely mothers out there. Thank you for keeping the dads sane and for reminding us all about our promise :)