Letters to No One - 1
Dear you,
I know you mean well. I know you have my best interest at heart and I also know you believe 37 is firmly in adulthood whatever this blog might say.
I am not refusing to grow up anymore. I am also not defiant because I want to make everyone around me miserable. Maybe my ideas sound a lot better on paper. Fuck it, it is not maybe. My ideas indeed sound a lot better on paper and they are absolutely brilliant in my head.
Until motherhood threw a curve ball at me. You see, my ideas about motherhood and raising a family kept evolving as my kids grew; as i grew up against my better judgement. But at the crux of it, the essence is the same as all mothers - I wanted to raise beautiful, kind human beings who will not only leave this world in a better place but also make it better while they are still in it. How do I teach them that if I won't try to change the status quo of what a mom should be?
When I went through those crazy 10 months of pregnancy, and then the labour and finally held the baby, I really thought I was free. Free to raise the darn kid however i please as long as I did not screw it up bad; so bad that Manson looked like an angel. Then I was stupid enough to do the same thing again and bring another kid into this mix, even before I had a blueprint in hand for the first.
Every time you say "Suck it up and do it, all of us moms are doing it", my heart breaks. Because you see, I am telling my child, just because everyone else is doing it doesn't make it right. I know swimming against the current is tiring, especially for someone like me who barely knows any swimming. Yet i do it. Every. Single. Day.
Not to be antagonistic but because that is who I really am.
I don't like the status quo.
Will i change the definition of motherhood? No.
Will my child turn out wonderful? Maybe
Would i have made a difference in their life? Yes.
As long as I believe I can effect a change even for a day, I will continue to do it.
lost in daydreams,
A disgruntled mom.
3 Comments:
I admire your dedication to raising kind and compassionate children.
'Ponc' - I read your pieces at baradwaj rangan's site and do believe me when I say that it reminded me of that old girl behind the midget diaries. So much did it do so, that I even visited this blog after a decade and some. Today I see you share the cool news of being published in NYT and I see your name Chidambarakumari, and I feel an odd thrill of having recognised you in those psedonym'ed pieces and it bought back old memories of blogging and reading one another and responding to pieces that we liked. Oh you won't know who I am!
I am: theshapeofherbite.blogspot.com
Much water has indeed flown since those days.
Welcome back Mahesh! and yes I had to go back and read your blog to make the connection :) But if you had quoted "Kadhal Seithal Paavam" translation, I would have known immediately :p
Thank you for recognizing me from my writing - that is the bestest compliment anyone can ever give me.
Those were indeed the best of times - reading, commenting, writing, reading. rinse and repeat.
Should we try another song translation? :)
Post a Comment
<< Home