Today is mother’s day. So happy mother’s day to all mothers and soon-to-be mothers. I applaud your efforts, passion, and commitment to raising a …
Today is mother’s day. So happy mother’s day to all mothers and soon-to-be mothers. I applaud your efforts, passion, and commitment to raising a child. Although I am not a mother and I’m not sure yet if I ever will be, I’ve been thinking about what it means to be a mother, and how much of an impact a mother has on a person’s life.
Like most mother-daughter relationships, my mother and I have had numerous differences over the years, especially when I was a teenager. Part of differences were caused by cultural differences; I was trying to assimilate to being an American and adopt Western values, while she was trying to instill her Indian ones in me. But there was one value that my mother instilled in me that I’ve held onto throughout life; she said, “Make sure you can stand on your own two feet.”
I never questioned her when she said this, because I saw how hard she worked to establish her own identity despite being subject to a very male-dominated culture. My mom thinks she’s not the smartest person in the world, or the most ambitious, but I know she’s a very strong willed person and that matters more than raw intelligence. She worked full time, went to school, cooked dinner every night, and still had time to yell at her two kids! I can’t ever remember a point in my life when she didn’t have a job or wasn’t pursuing a career or her studies. I suppose subconsciously I follow her example in leading my own life.
This past year my mom told me how proud she was of me. She said, “You’ve proved yourself as a woman.” That’s the highest compliment I’ve ever received from her, or anyone woman, and it made me very happy. Although I think there’s still a lot I need to work on, and I look forward to in life, her compliment made me feel accomplished.
I’m sure that my mom and I will continue to have our differences throughout time, and if I ever have a daughter, she and I will probably have differences too. Even though we may disagree on particulars I think its important to understand each other. I’ve learned to understand my mom by evaluating the context in which she’s led her life, and she has done the same for me, as a result we have a mutual admiration for one another. But it takes time, patience, and the mutual willingness to acknowledge that we are values to each other. So thank you mom for believing in my and inspiring me to become the independent woman that I am today.
