 |
| Vineeta & Abhilasha |
 |
| Vineeta, Abhilasha & Chai |
When I met little Abhilasha, I was a teenager and living with my parents in Borivali, Mumbai. I clearly remember a happy, smiling, gurgling and chubby 8-month-old baby who looked like a little doll to me. Her mother Vineeta is my cousin who has been living in the States for a long time. The next time I saw my pretty and gentle American niece was in 2016 for my niece, Anushree’s wedding and I travelled with my sister and daughters to Kerala. Nearly two decades had passed. So yes, I don’t know Abhilasha a lot but I am delighted that she replied when I asked her to tell us a bit about her mother Vineeta.
So here, from the pen of Abhilasha, is a young mother’s ode to her own mother:
“Many of my fond memories of my mother occurred when my brother and I were in the back seat of her car. Over the years she spent countless hours singing Hindi songs with us, playing us audiobooks, explaining the news to us and simply talking with us as she drove us here, there and everywhere. In our little on-the-go version of mother-daughter socialization, Amma taught me how to appreciate language and music, how to digest the world around me, and even how to regulate my emotions. Traits that are core to my sense of self even today.
One quality that I love and admire in my mother is that she's grounded in reality. This extends to much of her way of living. Rather than ignoring the flaws of her loved ones, she keeps them forefront in her mind, taking each person she knows in whole with every interaction. She loves art and stories but only when they are not too fantastical -- her preferred book and drama genre is murder mystery and her favorite subjects to paint are her family and friends. Another trait that I love is her caring nature. From last minute materials for school projects to middle-of-the-night phone calls about an aunt's medical concerns, Amma is there for people at the drop of a hat. When friends are struggling Amma makes sure to regularly check in on them and offer help.
My perspective on my mother has definitely changed as I have aged. I have always loved and admired her but only in the last few years have I begun to understand her. For example, I am 32 now and my daughter is about to turn 1. My motherhood journey has barely begun and I am already developing a deeper knowledge of and gratitude towards the mother I was blessed with.
If I could gift Amma one new skill/habit it would be meditation. Having two children, a demanding full-time job and a working husband occupied all of my mother's mental energy. I think developing a meditation habit would help Amma organize her thoughts, express herself more easily and be at peace in many ways. “
The most delightful thing about these tributes is that they are giving me a chance to reach out personally to family. I’ve always been one to admire family members who bring others together and now for the first time, I feel that I am in that role.
#motherhood #mother #tributetomymom
#maman
Like this story? Make sure you don't miss any post by
The tribute that Anushree wrote for her mother is Anushree & her mother Shreedevi - tribute 10 - family Mother's day compilation
You can also read Vineeta's tribute to her mother Shreedevi here
Vineeta & her mother Shreedevi - tribute 4 - Mother's day family compilation
You may also like these posts
I completely relate to this
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment Uma 😘, in what way do you relate ?
Delete