The Strength Of A Woman

The thought process started subconsciously triggered by an innocent remark from my 4 year old ? "Mom come out to play with me" he said. "Who will do the cooking sweetheart?" I asked…and he promptly answered "Reanne"??. Reanne being my one and half year old baby girl.  Where did he get the pre-conceived notion that girls / women did the cooking I wondered? He obviously had not seen Khana Khazana or Mirch Masala for that matter…

The thread started thus, wondering how come our society has a presumption when it comes to gender specific tasks?  Well I must admit I am being a hypocrite now?. Working in Human Resources now sure broadens my perspective of career options and it is a proud feeling to see Engineers, Lab Technicians, IVF technicians, Physiotherapists etc. etc. of my own clan making a mark for themselves.

Perhaps after the era of Kalpana Chawla the talk is redundant, its like no questions asked and we can proudly paint the skies with achievements from our female counterparts…and then I think of the movie "Water" nominated recently for the Academy Awards ? Child marriages? I mean get real??do they still exist? Whether they do or not is a question for debate, but the fact that they did at some point of time is in itself shameful.

I once heard a Wise Woman say ? "Women are Women’s Worst Enemies" (WWWE)! And I thought to myself how silly, but that was probably my innocence and ignorance… today I do realize that the above fact has more truth in it than any other.

Dowry Deaths I hope a thing of the past, though Eve Teasing, is not. Just a couple of days back, I had a teenager come to me and tell me that she was scared, because some boys were following her and making a nuisance. I suggested she talk to her mother and I hope that some day when my baby girl needs a listening ear, she finds comfort in me or the neighbor or relative suggests it. What goes around comes around they say, so today I am striving to live so that whatever comes around is anticipated and not dreaded.  Sure shot way the way I see it to make the world a whole lot better to live in.

The forever dreaded words ? INLAWS is where it all starts I guess, again being a hypocrite when I remember that I used to tell my mom that I am a MENEZES and she was a DSOUZA ? the allegiance changes I guess, since today I am the interloper in the MIRANDA family ;).  Ever wonder why it becomes trickier playing Mother (in law) when mother is played by instinct? or for that matter sister (in law) when sisters are sworn upon? Or daughter (in law) when daughters are cherished?  Food for thought eh??

Being a child of working parents meant that I grew up in day cares, baby sitting or whatever they are called nowadays.  When I reminiscent back, I see so many cases of abuse, though subtle and harmless, abuse nevertheless.  Be it from a 60 year old so called Grandpa (God rest his soul) in Grandma?s day care or the innocent neighbor just wishing well….Nightmares…absolutely.  When in college I was an active participant in the Theater and there was this play, about a girl "raped" when a girl, and how she cowered every time a male came anywhere within reach of her.  I still remember how difficult it was even to rehearse for the role, I became depressed till we finished the play.  Till date I can vouch for a fact that I cannot read of rapes or even see serials depicting it.

Being a working mother today, I am more aware of the perils that await my little one and I know by experience that the best form of defense I can give her is the awareness I can impart, make her knowledgeable of what could be out there.  Values again, somehow can’t make that word "redundant" it all boils down to what we can hand down to the coming generation. 

When I sit back and think about the most beautiful moment of my life, I think of the day I walked towards the altar and of another, when my father told me that he had heard of women looking beautiful when pregnant and now he knew it for a fact…can a (gentle) man challenge the glow that statement brings to heart ?? NAAAAAAAAA…

For now, its celebration time, to celebrate the beautiful CON – WOMAN, do not get offended by the term LADIES, what else do you call a person who plays so many roles to the hilt?  Counting a FEW ? DAUGHTERS, SISTERS, SWEETHEARTS, WIVES, MOTHERS, GRANDMOTHERS and a few of those oh so memorable AUNTS !!

Lets celebrate God’s most beautiful CREATION ? Us Women!

Author: Tina Miranda- Kuwait