Every Year this day passes off to me as another day. This one would have been no different, had Nimi, my sixteen-year-old daughter hadn’t asked me what women’s day gift should we give Amma?
I confront her with the meaning and significance of women’s day and why the “special day” for women? Nimi goes on to explain that this day that International Women’s Day (IWD) is dedicated to recognizing women’s achievements in various fields and also points out gender equality and so on… Well, this pushed me for a walk down the memory lane, triggering my thoughts about the women whom I grew up with, women who were responsible for my learning, those whom I admired for their wisdom at work and life. thought this was a good time to pause and say “Thank you !”
Growing up with five sisters and being the youngest of them made a different upbringing experience for me. After losing both my parents before18, I was like someone who lost his rudders while rowing a boat and was experiencing a difficult journey in the sea of life. Most of the sisters qualified to be my mother by age and their experience, not only took me under their wings but also groomed me all through. I was all through their “that little one” and this remains unchanged even today!
Everything of mine –education, marriage, home, and more is a result of those five mothers.
Growing up watching those five women at home who were dedicated to education — a core common activity — followed by painting, Indian classical music, and oratory (one of them extended this strength to a lawyer’s profession) most importantly common family values, was good enough modeling for me to take forward with me till date.
Also carrying forward today is the efforts of my teachers. Ms. Celine at school taught me maths when 2+2 was 5 for me. She used to take me to her teacher’s hostel in the evenings and never let me go home unless I finished the homework and recite 1–20 tables.
When I impressed her enough I would return home with a Cadbury’s in my hand! Ms. Jayashree was another teacher whose charms and knowledge of physics combined with her teaching ability triggered my physics interest (of course I didn’t become a physicist !) speaking of teachers the list is endless will bring it up on another day. Now my heartfelt gratitude to all of those teachers who kindled my love of learning.
There are many women from different walks of life, I have hardly spoken out in open but admit that I have been quietly admiring them –Helen Keller, Mary Curie, Jhansi Laxmi Bai, Kittor Chennama, Sania Nehwal, PV Sindhu, Indira Nooyi, and again the list goes on. All these women have inspired me at a time I was looking up to an external stimulus to walk chin up on several of my grim moments. I did walk chin up as I read their stories or watched them on screen Thank you, ladies!
