Dear friends,
As women, we play multiple roles as pivots in the home front as well as work and it is my belief that balancing home and work is something that every woman should be able to achieve without having to compromise on the quality of her presence in either. A satisfied, content woman evolves when she is able to give her best to her home and her career and when she is free to make choices that make this a possibility at various stages of her life.
As women we are presented with what we presume to be insurmountable challenges when it comes to our career while also being a mother, and what I believe will help us plough through these are sheer will power and our conviction. Sometimes, the challenges and vulnerability brought in by motherhood can make us feel insecure about our capacity to handle our careers.
As beautiful a gift as motherhood is, it is also a great responsibility. There have been moments when the responsibilities of motherhood loomed in front of me trying to blur my dreams about having the career I loved, but these are also the moments when I remember what my mother has gifted me – my confidence and belief in myself. It was like she instinctively knew what I needed, what I was built for.
It is from her that I learnt how to let my vulnerability and instincts guide me in my motherhood and in the meantime how to fuel myself to nurture and guard my work-life.
With four siblings and my father as the sole breadwinner, my mother certainly desired deeply to contribute to the family financially too, but her options were limited. She relentlessly taught us to be independent and sowed the seeds of understanding how important is a career even as we were small children. As tough as it might have been for her at the time, she chose to send us to boarding schools for good education and it was from her that I derived this great resilience and strength and also the firm belief that we can be amazing mothers and also have successful careers. To her, I owe my strength and everything that I am today.
I have grown to be a self-reliant, strong woman. I am empowered to make my decisions in the work front, keeping in mind, the long-term gains and learning and not short-term goals. I trust myself that I will continue to learn and grow and adapt to the challenges on my way only to evolve better. In this endeavour, if my mother was one pillar of strength, I cannot understate my partner’s role in being as understanding and loving towards me and supporting me in whatever choices I make.
My mother-in-law has always been a catalyst propelling me towards my goals. From welcoming me lovingly into the family to understanding my dreams and supporting me to pursue my career after motherhood, she has always been a huge support system. I feel blessed that she never once made me feel guilty about my choices and made me believe more in my abilities as a mom and working woman. It was because of her that I was able to have a seamless work life and quality time with my kids at the end of the day.
For my daughter and son, this is my prayer and wish. That they be wise enough to make the right choices and that they be blessed enough to be around people that support and propel them through their journey. To my children, I believe I have and will continue to pass on my resilience and will power. I want them and everyone else to remember, the pandemic may have exacerbated some of our challenges of managing work and home. The uncertainty could be rendering us weak in some moments. But it is important to pick ourselves up and fuel ourselves to do better without having to let go of what we believe is the best we can do.
To all the mothers out there, I take this opportunity to wish you all a wonderful day. I want to remind you all what great a role you play, how greatly and beautifully you influence your children and empower them in good times and bad, how well you keep teaching them to live their dreams, how you empower them to be the best version of themselves. To you all, we owe our everything.
In gratitude and with much love,
Maharukh.
