A letter to my mom on her retirement

Hello Mrs UPPCL,

WOW! “41 years of service”!

This is not a chapter but a book that you have written Mumma. Let me share with the world how through your life you made us read a legend’s bio.

In the words of Gandhi, let me quote that “Your life is your message.”

Firstly, let me congratulate you with a thunderous applaud and a standing ovation for the service you have delivered. No amount of words can describe what you have put in this job.

What an electrifying performance you have given working with the electricity department!

Introducing Anita Banerjee

A power-packed lady who is retiring as an Administrative Officer after 41 years of service with the electricity department, Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL), Government of Uttar Pradesh.

She is a strong woman who is both soft and powerful. She is the rock of our family and the pillar of her organization. It was through her work and conduct that many lives were impacted while she thought that she was just going for a 9 to 5 job.

She is a beast in her own way but one word describes her best… Strong!

She is so educated that she knows to be humble. She is a gift to the world.

In short, her life is her message.

Let’s take a flashback

For decades you have put through the dull, throbbing pain of working jobs but never let it come to your face while returning home. At work, you were known as an untiring worker; at home you never slacked in your duty for a moment, which is why we call you our superwoman.

How many times did Babaai, Didi and I shout at you for breakfast, clothes, or missing homework but you always ensured things fall in place.

You never stopped moving. And you almost never put yourself first, instead living in a sleep-getting-the-kids-ready-commuting-work-commuting-looking-after-kids-dad-sleep continuum that sometimes never seemed to end.

She blends work-life

You are an inspiration for all as the way you handle both home and office earns a great retirement life. You juggled family and work so beautifully.

It is because of you that we know family isn’t just about “I, my husband and Kids”.

It’s beyond that. It’s about relationships, gatherings, festivals that are celebrated with everyone.

It is because of you we know that it is not just the good times but also the tough ones when we all stand together for each other.

It’s because of you we know how happy a family can be under four walls and one roof even in the most difficult times.

It is because of you we look forward to bond with relatives and share love in every possible way.

It is because of you we know there is more in giving than receiving.

On behalf of all your loved ones I want you to know that you are precious and you matter a lot to all of us.

We are the witness of your devotion throughout your years of service; under the rain, sun, and snow you did not relapse in your commitment at work.

We bow down for you. Salute!

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Respect is her biggest asset

If respect could be converted into rupees, I could bet on anything that Mrs Anita Banerjee is the richest woman in the world. And, she has earned it.

We all look up to you for the woman you are.

You are reputed, dignified and highly valued.

If a character certificate wasn’t in words, it would be in gold for a person like you.

You have given the same respect to every person at the workplace and always treated your colleagues with humanity. The way you have conducted yourself at work has always made everyone around you just look up to you.

Wishes for the future

After all these years of hard work and stress, you have finally completed the journey.

It’s time to settle down and take it easy. You are a virtuous woman indeed. You deserve the best that life has for you ahead, mom.  I feel so proud saying that I am your daughter because you are the perfect example of homemaker as well as a professional.

As you retire, mom, remember you’re loved and you’ll always have something to do because your children will always need your love. And they will always need you.

Finally the time has come for your relax, there is no more work pressure, no more time schedule and no more headache.

Now that you are officially a retiree, Mumma, I hope you enjoy every minute of your life. You deserve it.

I congratulate you on your enormous achievements and wish you a truly wonderful retirement packed with good health, happiness and peace.

Congratulations on your retirement! Have a fun-filled and fulfilled retirement.

We all love you!

August 1, 2019August 1, 2019 by Ankita Banerjee Categories: letter, Soul Writing 8 Comments

Celebrate love in all shapes and sizes

“How much do you love me?”

Love has no units of measurement. It neither has a joining date nor a relieving date. It is just that feeling that makes one feel whole. In life, some relationships gift us love in great measures. Others are just so momentary that it doesn’t last. But what remains constant is love. Love has no definitions or parameters but, in the end, love is free and beautiful.  Let’s dig into the different shapes of love.

Love Within Lines

There is love within lines. They say, “Everything is fair in love and war”. It surely is but sometimes love has more to do with respect and is sensitive. Why love has to cross all the lines? Why not love gracefully and let love be? Sometimes in life, few relationships are delicate and can cause worries or troubles in others life. It is then when love from a distance helps love grow and spread happiness around. There is beauty and grace in love within lines.

 

Make Your Own Love Angle

There is an angle in every love that happens in life.  Every love relationship has a new dynamic and the degree of love differs from one relationship to the other. What matters the most is the quality of love two people share and how they make each other feel about themselves. So instead of ‘loving to an extent’ or ‘loving like they do’, why not make your own love angle that is unique and basic. There is a reason why things happen in life. So, enjoy the angle you are in and let it be beautiful the way it is because in the end it’s ‘love’ and it will always be giving no matter which degree it reaches to.

 

 Oops, a Triangle!

In a relationship, ‘relationshits’ happen. This is a very common shape of love- “the love triangle”. Most of us must have been in a love triangle at some point of time in life, knowingly or unknowingly. Now what, it has already happened. It’s okay to be in love with someone who loves someone else. Love is meant to be free and love is not meant to be achieved. If it creates chaos and puts our peace of mind in pieces, why hold on, instead, just let go.

Equals Make a Square

Everything is equal in a square. The angles, straight lines, length, breadth, diameter and just everything. Let everything in “love” be equal. The responsibilities, good, bad, baggage, fears, decisions and feelings. Let both the individuals feel equal in a relationship and equally be involved to build the bond because love isn’t just found; it is built.

 Love is a Circle

The circle goes around without an end and love bears the same pattern. Every love is a beginning as well as an ending. Love is a circle whose center is everywhere and circumference is nowhere. The more we love, the more we learn. It comes to full circle.

 

The bottom line is to just let love be and not measure its extent or degree. Every relationship doesn’t have the same ending yet it’s beautiful in its own ways.

 

So, make your own angle of love with few dignified lines where you feel square in everything you do and ignore the triangles that come along the way because, in the end, you are in a love circle– that goes around, and comes around.

February 14, 2019 by Ankita Banerjee Categories: feature writing, love, Uncategorized, valentine's day 2 Comments

Scrolling ‘Soul Kumbh’

 

There is a place on earth where millions of people are walking in one direction, in search of nothing outside but something within that draws one closer to the self. That place is Sangam in PrayajRaj where the biggest human festival is ongoing in the name of ‘Kumbh’.

Let’s discover the soul of Kumbh through someone who defines words like soul and serenity.

Introducing ‘Soul Kumbh’

She is on a journey where she finds deep meanings and lights the world by her presence. Selfless and serene in everything she does. Professionally an academician, radio broadcaster, citizen journalist, tarot reader, author, vlogger and personally someone who has her mind, body and heart in alignment is what makes her the ‘Soul Kumbh’.

 Born in Lucknow and living for over a decade in Prayagraj.

Let’s scroll the soul of K RASHI BADALIA KUMAR as ‘Soul Kumbh’.

 

THE ‘STATE OF SOUL’

Kumbh is beyond the stories we have heard. ‘Soul Kumbh’ walks by faith in masses yet a step closer to self. K Rashi is found to have strength as her ‘state of soul’. She feels that being among the masses gives her immense power and no matter how crowded the place gets, the magic is of the ‘faith’ that all have in common irrespective of the backgrounds and religion one belongs to. There is a unity which isn’t said yet felt inside. She feels her time alone with Maa Ganga is what brings her closer to self. There is some divine force that can’t be put in words but only felt when the foot touches the sands of Sangam.

 

THE SANGAM INSIDE

Sangam means confluence of three rivers; Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati. When Soul Kumbh is at Sangam physically, there is also a Sangam of feelings inside. She states that there is a confluence of three emotions inside that makes her feel surreal.  Three powerful emotions of love, peace and unity is the Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati that connects inside and makes the soul feel at Sangam.

 

THE ‘SOUL’ DIP

While the body takes a holy dip, the heart takes a soul dip. Her soul feels triumphed in that moment of dip. She has taken a dip just once to experience the faith of multitude. She instantly felt that by taking the dip one can feel the positive energies of the cosmos and the universe. It is there where the five elements that we are made of creates power. The Earth, Water, Sun, Air and Fire create the divine force that lights her from inside.

 ‘Cosmos is not something outside us, it’s inside’, says Soul Kumbh.

 

THE MOMENT OF ‘DETOX’

Soul Kumbh feels that there is detox in the thinking patterns. There is more clarity in thoughts and the time spent by Ganga is when the air we breathe in helps to inhale positive thoughts and exhale negative thoughts.

THE RAPID-FIRE ROUND:

• What is overrated in life? – EMOTIONAL TURBULENCE
• Your emotional goals- To be compassionate at all times
• Your source of happiness- Almighty, the guiding light
• Your source of sadness- When someone hurts others
• Your source of anger- Injustice
• For what would you give yourself an OSCAR? – Fought for my stray friend (Kallu)
• Out of 1 to 10, rate your love for yourself- 10

 

“Be the light, spread the light.”- K Rashi Badalia Kumar

SCROLLING OVER!

 

DISCOVERY: Soul Kumbh was real during this soul conversation. Her soul is selfless and she is making a difference in everything she does. Her righteousness is her glamour and she is known for the love she has within. She is a rare one because she is on a mission to make this place a better one to live.

 

‘Soul Kumbh’ Summary:  This kind of soul tells us to do everything with passion and be real at all times. To do things selflessly and to keep moving forward. To be at peace and not be in pieces.

LOVE LAUGH LIVE

SOUL SCROLL

 

February 8, 2019February 8, 2019 by Ankita Banerjee Categories: feature writing, Reflective Writing, Soul Writing 2 Comments

MENTALLY “RAPED” TO SCROLL A SOUL TODAY!

I didn’t scroll a soul today.

I just couldn’t as mentally I couldn’t get over the brutal rape news about Asifa.

And then I was wondering how such souls survive.

Thank God Asifa died! That little soul will at least feel safe in heaven. She didn’t deserve to be a part of this unsafe world.

Imagine that feeling, that moment where you realize you aren’t strong enough to get out of that situation. Even self defense training fails when a gang of men grab your wrist and imagine that force applied to your whole body.

Every part of your body and senses…becomes useless. Your body isn’t even your body anymore. It belongs to THEM.

And not only your body, but everything you are is ripped away in that one moment.

Your mind and soul nothing functions and for a kid like Asifa she doesn’t even know what pleasure they are feeling in her pain.

There’s nothing for you to do except wait for IT to get over.

And you feel as though anything in the world could be better than this.

Even death. You may even pray that you could choose death instead.

Unfortunately, you couldn’t even choose that.

It’s not something that can ever be erased, even as the physical bruises fade.

Every person around you becomes a virtual threat and sometimes you still hold that breath when you walk past a group of boys because you know what people are capable of.

Nothing will ever erase what happened to you.

You might never be able to go back to the person you used to be.

For those who died, I wonder if living was a better choice.

For those alive, I wonder what it takes to live again.

Is like life and death, even rape is uncertain?

It can happen anytime and anywhere. And to live with this fear all our lives is something that seems inevitable.

No laws will ever fix this.

Asifa is not the first case, she won’t be the last.

Let the U in hUman make the difference and not the MAN in it.

KILL RAPE, NOT SOULS.

PS: A part of this blog is quoted from a note written by a rape survivor.

#SoulScroll

April 13, 2018April 14, 2018 by Ankita Banerjee Categories: Uncategorized Leave a comment

SCROLLING SOUL 1

She was born at “Happy-o-clock” and her name is “Adventure”.  Physically in Delhi, with a heart that belongs to Indore.  Her soul is yellow in colour as it is full of bright blood cells and an accessory that she never forgets to wear is ‘laughter’. Professionally, she is a writer, editor and event manager.

THE M FACTOR

She has an “M FACTOR” in life because her name is “Megha”. Being “Happy-Go-Lucky” is her M FACTOR. This factor reflects every time you interact with her, be it in person or in the virtual world.

Megha means ‘cloud’ and she lives on ‘cloud ADVENTURE’.  She loves to explore the unexplored in her own ways. She looks forward to travel, pamper herself and spend some time deep with her thoughts while blogging on ‘a tranquil nook‘.

THE BRIGHT SIDE

Her food for thought is ‘being healthy’. Dancing and working out regularly is something that gives her strength and is her adrenaline rush. This 24-year-old girl loves her “ME TIME” despite life’s daily hustle-bustle.  Some dim lights and good music charges up her mind and is her way to unwind herself from the routine.

THE FLIP SIDE

When asked to share a part of her that she feels never belonged to her, she replied, “DEPRESSION”. When she was young, full of energy and ideas, she was also clueless about what to do in life. It was too early for her to figure out what matters and what doesn’t. She then needed light but didn’t find any spark. She battled her own negativity and drained herself to a point where she tasted breathlessness. But then, it was she herself who came out of that phase and gave wings to her imagination.

Congratulations Soul 1 for being your own light.

LET’S DO A REALITY CHECK √ 

 “I always looked at others and assumed that they are happier in life. I used to wonder how happy they must be both personally and professionally. This way I did harm my mental peace. I also dragged myself to do things just for the heck of it. I did pursue jobs which were only source of income but not happiness. And all of this was a part of my mechanism.”

While making this soul conversation, she expressed that her soul needs love and passion more than just a pay check.

THE RAPID FIRE ROUND:

• What is overrated in your life? – COMMITMENT
• Your emotional goals- To become neutral specially towards reacting to situations
• Your self-blocking pattern- I drag myself in situations which can be given a closure
• Your source of happiness- LOVE AND CONSTANT ENCOURAGEMENT
• Your source of sadness- Other’s opinions
• Your source of anger- Waiting for someone
• For what would you give yourself an OSCAR? – My Childhood
• Out of 1 to 10, rate your love for yourself- 12

“Don’t regret anything in life, for you really wanted it at some point of time in life.”– Megha Singh

SCROLLING OVER!

DISCOVERY: Soul 1 was spontaneous during this soul conversation. Her soul is self-enlightening and enthusiastic. Her inner belief is to live in the moment. At this point in life, her soul is focusing on ‘sense of contentment’.  

SOUL 1 SUMMARY:  This kind of soul tells us to live in the present and be your own light. To live life fearlessly and nurture your own soul for a happy and content life. 

LOVE LAUGH LIVE

SOUL SCROLL

March 30, 2018March 30, 2018 by Ankita Banerjee Categories: Soul Writing 4 Comments

Scrolling Soul 2

“The Giver” is her name and she was born a natural caretaker. Professionally and personally, she picked an unending job for herself, which has no joining date or retirement and that is the “job of giving”. She gives because her happiness–and her success–comes from someone else’s happiness and someone else’s success.

As a giving person, she finds that there aren’t enough hours in the day.

Her soul is full of suppressed emotions. She will never come and tell you verbally that she loves you or is hurt rather keep breathing her emotions in and out.

Her soul wears strength as she has the power to hide her deepest pain with a smile on her face. She has no qualms about it and is in a happy state.

Her soul is deep and that of a kind which is full yet somewhere empty. Full of emotions and empty of self-love. She feels everything too hard. Be it the good or the bad. Had her heart been a skill, she would have been earning in millions.

So, is she a burden? Yes, that’s what she feels!

Before speaking, she thinks what if I hurt someone!

Before cooking, she thinks what if the dish gets spoiled!

Before asking for her needs, she thinks what if the other person also needs something!

And, all her life she lives with her “what ifs”!!!

Her deepest desire is to see her people happy in life. She has tasted both richness and poverty so she knows that doesn’t feed her soul.

Her soul is on the lookout of company of the people she lives with. She is selectively-social because her life revolves around her family. Nothing interests her except her family.

She is self-abused due to excessive generosity. “The Giver” not just gives love but also opinions and advice.

She is fond of talking to people to a point where she loses track on what to talk. She is not aware of her own thoughts because she has suppressed her feelings to a point that when she meets someone, her thoughts overflow. She is unaware of suppression because that has become her way of living.

Her soul is abandoned and let me tell you she lives in a family where she has a husband and pretty well-settled children. They love her and she knows it well. There is nothing bad that has happened to this soul but she is in constant emotional pain.
LET’S DO A REALITY CHECK √
“I feel “doing good” is an exaggeration. Yes, I am a giver and love to talk to different people but there are moments when I feel a certain way but pretend differently. I overthink on all the “what ifs” and sometimes feel that I am living for no good. At heart, I do expect my close ones to do for me selflessly and spend more time with me.”

THE RAPID-FIRE ROUND:

• What is overrated in your life? – EMOTIONS
• Your emotional goals- To fight emotional numbness
• Your self-blocking pattern- I keep my feelings only to myself and create illusions
• Your source of happiness– Others happiness
• Your source of sadness- Others worries
• Your source of anger- When someone delays things that need immediate action
• For what would you give yourself an OSCAR? – I am not sure if I deserve an Oscar for anything
• Out of 1 to 10, rate your love for yourself- 6

“In giving, you also gift yourself the joy of living”- The Giver

SCROLLING OVER!

DISCOVERY: Soul 2 was conscious during this soul conversation. Her soul is full of love and suppressed emotions. Her inner belief is to live a life for others. At this point in life, her soul is focusing on happiness-outside and not inside. She will be content only when she knows the people in her life are living a happy life.

SOUL 2 SUMMARY: This kind of soul tells us to be generous but only to a point that we don’t harm our own happiness. There comes a point when giving is taken for granted. So while giving others, we must not forget to give ourselves love and happiness.

LOVE LAUGH LIVE
SOUL SCROLL

April 6, 2018April 6, 2018 by Ankita Banerjee Categories: feature writing, Reflective Writing, Soul WritingTags: Company, Emotions, Generosity, Giving, Lack of self love, LoveOthers, Others Happiness, What If 2 Comments

Coming Soon: Soul Conversations

Why communicate with your soul?

I love talking to different kinds of people. Since childhood I remember meeting and asking my friends and cousins about themselves and how did they spend their day.

While growing up I realized this is a part of my mechanism and I love knowing people from a different point of view.

And then, I thought why not make a written record of different kinds of people and share it with all my friends out there!

Some souls may reveal their deepest parts, some may not!

Some may express, some may continue to suppress!

Some may sound real, some sugar-coated!

But what I know is in the process of knowing you, you will know yourself a little more and I will help myself a little more.

We all come from different places, not geographically but emotionally too.

We all belong to different places, not in terms of destination but in terms of destiny.

Let’s have a soulful communication and express the unexplored part of us.

This gives me a special vibe that I am going to spread and share with all of you shortly.

Soul Scroll is a blog for people who have a story within themselves that they don’t want to read aloud.

Make me your pen and express your inner feelings. 

I am here to give you a written record of yourself.

Coming Soon, Soul Scroll Season 1.

Stay Connected

Friday- 9pm, Revealing Soul 1.

Love Laugh Live

Soul Scroll

March 27, 2018March 27, 2018 by Ankita Banerjee Categories: Uncategorized 11 Comments

Introducing Soul Scroll Season 1- Get Your Feelings Featured

Hi,

I am here to express the unexpressed through the columns of this blog.

I had this feeling that I am not writing for myself since long and just doing some routine professional writing so I wanted to start something new and impactful.

Then I wondered what if YOU can be a part of this journey.

Trust me, it will be worth it.

So let me explain what this is all about.

Soul Scroll is a blog for people who have a story within themselves that they don’t want to read aloud.

Make me your pen and express yourself.

I am here to write a biography for you in a way that will help you know yourself better.

Every week I will be sharing the inner story of a soul and feature it anonymously. If you want, your name will be mentioned otherwise it will be kept anonymous.

The objective behind this is to help you know yourself better and give you a platform to get your feelings featured.

It will only be between you and me in a way but reach millions through one post.

It can be an expression, incident, challenge, fear, chapter or story. Maybe, just a feeling that you want to express but don’t know how to put it across.

Ready to be Soul 1 of my Season 1?

Connect with me at ankita.usm@gmail and I will get back to you. You can also send me a personal message.

The chapter will be published every Friday at 9 pm on my blog and you can further share it on any media.

Love Laugh Live

Let’s get started 🙂

Soul Scroll

 

 

 

March 24, 2018March 24, 2018 by Ankita Banerjee Categories: Uncategorized 3 Comments

A LETTER TO ALL THE STUDENTS WHO APPEARED FOR THEIR BOARD EXAMS (10th/ 12th)

Dear students/friends,

Hope you all had a wonderful time writing and preparing for the board exams. Indeed one of the most hyped and “important” examinations in our life as lifted by both the education system and peer groups.

So, now you are done with writing the exam and probably waiting for results with great hopes, aspirations and fears. You have put in the entire year working hard. I am sure all of you have invested your time, money and hard work to make through it. Many of you must have burnt the midnight oil, went for tuition’s or extra-classes, been awake 24*7, tried to away yourself from every possible social media, friends and relatives just to appear and do well in BOARDS. I know the aura is so that we all have to deal with it no matter how positive and supportive everyone is!

Right?

Fine, you are done with all of it.

The preparation, fear, expectations and with all of it here comes the time for the results, maybe declared or about to be declared.

Before I write my message for you I want to tell you the reason or thought behind this letter. Every year just after the results are declared we happen to read or watch news which tells us about young people committing suicide or dealing with depression, anxiety or mental illness soon after the declaration and this is what disturbs me to the core.

But by then the time is gone when we can speak to you or ask you what made you do so and why did you even dare to think of doing this act!! It’s pretty late and all we can do is join candle marches, write on social media forums, blame the education system, interview parents and lastly pray for their souls to rest in peace.

But now comes the point that how do I make you feel or think better??

I won’t be verbose about life and its elements but just make an effort to tell you your worth and purpose of life. Yes my dear friends/students your thoughts make you what you are so let’s think differently and act differently.

YOU are special and deeply loved. Your marks or grades don’t determine your self-worth. You are still special and matter a lot to your family, friends and society. This is not the end rather just a new beginning towards your dreams and aspirations. One exam or one result is not what you were living for. Your life is still great and you have the potential to make the best of your life. This is just a report card of one examination which can always be worked on for improvement, and that’s it.

This is not the end of your life.

Life is beautiful and we are living with a purpose which is greater and still achievable. We have to work towards GRADE A and 100% in life. We have to excel in life, make our parents proud and do wonders. And we still can, this is just a bend not the end.

Reality is that our interests and capabilities differ so sometimes we fail to figure out where exactly we are lacking and how can we improve. I know the times we are living in; are of competition, rat race and just climbing up. Now it’s more about “we got to be successful soon and earn good”. It’s more about achieving more in less time and just excel. Yes it’s important for you to earn your bread and better. Yes it’s important for you to run a family, own a house,  car and all the luxuries in life. Yes it’s also important to click on the first attempt and show the world that you can.

Trust me it’s important but not the end of your story.

And yes, you can do all of the above sooner or later but we differ and so does our results.

This result is just one chapter of your book so rewrite it or improve the next chapter but don’t end the book on this note because the story has a better and beautiful climax. Make it, create it and live it.

I may sound preachy or idealistic because I know even after reading this when the result day will come you will still feel tensed and if you don’t attain good marks you may feel depressed. That’s completely fine but only for that moment. Don’t decide for the rest of your life in that one moment. Get up, learn from your mistakes and face it. You can and you will.

By writing this letter I anyhow don’t intend to discourage exams or lessen the importance of boards or make you feel casual about it but just want you to reflect, evaluate and understand. Life is beautiful so believe in it and live it.

I would like to conclude by writing a short note to parents with utmost reverence. I understand your expectations and dreams from your children which absolutely are genuine. But please make them feel that you expect them to first live well, be good and then perform.

 Let’s sit together and release their stress, worries and fears with a feel of assurance that they will still be special, loved and their worth would remain the same.

Sometimes one word, sentence or pat does it all.

Let’s just assure them that they can still do wonders and make them believe in themselves and understand life better.

Five years from now you will understand that grades and marks matter but skills and values matter the most.

So hone your skills both professional and life skills, identity your potential, make a choice, dream for it and make it happen. YES IF YOU THINK, YOU CAN AND YOU WILL.

And yes heartiest congratulations, for you have survived so far so you will surely sail through all very well.

“Great minds and great personalities don’t always have great mark sheets. All you need for a great life is the first two”- Vir Das

 

May 26, 2017May 26, 2017 by Ankita Banerjee Categories: Reflective WritingTags: be different, board exams, gradesdontmatter, love yourself, never quit, peer pressure, self-worth 1 Comment

My heart is my womb: The adoptive mom

Babies, motherhood and parenthood come in all shapes and sizes. It is that day of the year when the word ‘maa’ echoes from every corner; be it in presence, on phone, social media or in memories. Some are celebrating with their kids, some from a distance and some just can’t wait to get the first glimpse of their child. But not everyone is celebrating Mother’s Day.  Some are also brooding over the thought of adoption and dealing with the social pressure of ‘being infertile’. On this special day, let’s celebrate motherhood and hope that every woman out there who has mothered in her own way or who aspires to be a mother is feeling loved. Whether it’s a mother of two, a teacher or someone slogging through infertility, every type of mother makes daily sacrifices for the children she loves. Becoming a mom through adoption is an incredible and life-altering experience. Let’s acknowledge all the adoptive moms out there who have battled the tough ride and also encourage those who are taking time to make a life-changing decision

• “Biology is the least of what makes you a mother”

The biological process of producing a child is not the ticket to motherhood. It is just one natural phenomenon which gives you the experience of bringing a new life through pregnancy. So what else is motherhood all about? It is love and not DNA that makes you a mom. Yes, it is hard and demands a lot of openness but surely something doable and there are many in the world living this incredible experience.

• The road to motherhood via adoption

The road to adoption is full of heartaches but it is also rich with love coming from every direction. For some women, the time that passes between making the decision to adopt and becoming a mom is relatively short. For others, it can be long; sometimes spanning several years. It is more about the spirit with which you will make the move. If you are willing then you have the power to make it happen. Just make it open-hearted. The adoptive mothers have given birth through their hearts and not their womb is the only technical or biological difference. On this special day, it is very important to honour all the adoptive mothers who have created destiny for a new child. Yes you are the creator and the choice will always be yours; be it mental, physical or emotional.

• Fight the hard fight because it’s never a second choice

Know it today; adoption is never a second choice. There are many leading women in the world who have made this move because they just wanted to experience this blessed phase. And to mention they are fertile enough to reproduce and add to the population of our country. Famous Indian celebrities like Sushmita Sen and Raveen Tandon decided at the young age of 20-something and successfully adopted children with love and warmth. People should know that waiting is extremely emotional and to be ignored or forgotten on a day like Mother’s Day intensifies that emotion. They deserve respect, recognition, consideration, thoughtfulness and kindness.

• Let your courage factor prevail over all social factors

With growing awareness and changing social mores, the trend of single women coming forward to adopt children is growing in India for sure. But what matters the most is your courage. No social factor can dominate over your decision and those who have made this decision have proved to bring the much needed change in this world.

• Celebrate the unique motherhood of adoption

Of course, as with any holiday, Mother’s Day isn’t just about gifts. It’s about being noticed for being a mom or a mom-to-be. Let no prejudices or rituals make the adoptive mom feel any less because it is she who has made a significant choice. So she deserves gratitude, special gestures and words of acknowledgement. Words such as “When you’re a mom, you’ll understand” can be hurtful so choose your words wisely. Just remember that whatever you end up doing, make sure the focus is to celebrate and honour your friend and her new family unit. Be sensitive to the situation surrounding the adoption as well as the adoption process, and always offer to be there for emotional support when needed. They have already chosen life for their unborn child, and now are choosing a home that can give him or her best life possible.

So the bottom line is we come into each other’s lives for a reason and embark on this unique motherhood journey together, hand in hand. You may be a different kind of mother and your way of production may differ but what makes you a mother is solely the love and selfless care you share. Every wo‘ma’n has ‘ma’ in her, we love you and embrace you every single day.

Happy Mother’s Day to one and all !

 

 

 

May 26, 2017May 26, 2017 by Ankita Banerjee Categories: Reflective Writing Leave a comment