Life is very vast and it imparts us the power of learning life and to observe the changing nature of it. Views on life differ from individual to individual. Hitherto in my life I have observed and met some outstanding personalities who taught me how to live and how to remain happy even though you are in trouble and encouraged me to attain success even in adversaries. Here is the account of all those mothers who sacrificed their everything…….
1. During my first stint in Mumbai with my friends in 2009, we all went to Marine Drive of which we had come to know through newspapers and television. It was around 7:30 PM we were enjoying and laughing and everyone was happy there. Suddenly I noticed a beautiful girl aged about 7-8 years approached me and asked, holding out a bunch of rose, if I would like to purchase it? I said ‘no’ to her with smile. Probably my smile encouraged her and she persisted with her request, until my friends intervene saying ‘go beta we don’t want any flower’. She left the place quietly, without displaying sign of despair and she approached others around hoping to get buyers. She got nothing and moved away. After 3-4 hrs when we were returning back I saw the same girl along with her younger brother being fed by her mother sitting on the pavement. There was a sweet display of satisfaction on the mother’s face. They were talking happily and were laughing. what makes her laugh after getting disappointment from people sitting on Marine Drive like me? Of course Her Mother….
2. During my first fieldwork in Raigad District I met a 5th std boy who came back from his school to his home which was made up of Mud and her mother was working on a field of a landlord as a daily wage laborer. “What is your daily income”? I inquired. Rs. 50-60 she replied quietly. She was promised Rs. 80 by the landlord but didn’t pay her this much. All her family members often have to starve themselves to feed the children. I wondered what made that lady satisfied in meager income of Rs. 56-60 that too on alternate days. It was their lunch time and the lady was feeding her two children ‘Bhakari’. She was eating nothing as they had only one ‘Bhakari’ which was made last night. It is worth mentioning here, despite days labor and hunger that lady was very happy and content because she was feeding her children.
3. In TISS I met one student who is pursuing masters in Social work but he is handicapped right from the birth. Even though he is disable, he is a very good singer. One fine day I asked him about his singing he replied very proudly..my Mother encouraged me…she always motivates me..his mother is the source of his energy.
4. In 2014 a heavy landslide is reported in Malin village of Ambegaon Taluka of Pune District. 154 villagers lost their lives in that landslide. There I met one lady who lost her family members in landslide and I interacted with her only for 15 mins. I stayed there for 2 weeks. I met that lady again in the Annual fair of the village. It was a second time we were meeting. She recognized me at once and gave me blessing. Tears were rolling down her cheeks when she said my son was of your age who died in the landslide. This is the love of mother who do not differentiate between her own child and the other.
5. I saw a lady begging beside the road near my school. People used to say that she is mad. Everyday I saw her before and after my school sitting with a dog. She used to share her food with the dog. That lady used to feed the dog like mother to her children.
6. In my life I met a man who lost his father when he was just 3 years old and he left his home with her mother and sister and came to Nagpur from Amravati in 1931 by walking around 150 KM’s. It was his mother who took all the risks for his and his sister’s survival as their native place lacked the means of livelihood and they had to migrate. This is what mother can do….
7. I met three brothers who also lost their father in early age and their mother worked on a construction site and other work to educated them. For her, education was the only means to make her children’s lives worth living. Here is the farsighted of the mother and her efforts bore fruits.
Like that I met one women..who struggled to meet both the ends of her maternal family. Later she sacrificed all the good opportunities that came to her for the betterment of her children. One her children was suffering from brain tumor and she had to go through many ordeals to save her child. Despite these agonizing moments she brought up her child. This and other sacrifices mention above can be expected from none other than mothers. It is motherly love which expects nothing in return…
Hence, Swami Vivekananda has aptly said “God cannot be everywhere that’s why he created mother…”
Like mother’s love which is all pervasive we don’t need occasions like ‘Mother’s Day’ to salute Mothers. The respect for Mothers should be there throughout everyone’s life….
Happy Mother’s Day…!!!
Snehal Tagade 