I love you mom for the sweetness you have brought in my life

I love you mom is a phrase that unites households across the world. Mom is the central and most important character in any family. While saying this I am not in any way trying to lower the status of a father in any family but it’s the mom who creates a bond that keeps every family member glued together. A father’s job, on the other hand, is like a team coach. He brings out the best out of each member so that as a team together they score the winning goal for the family.

The family picnics

Remember going for a picnic with your family on weekends. The jobs of both mom and dad were clearly defined. Dad was the one who decided on when to go ,where to go and how to go? The how question was solved with the family car.  The destination was settled after consulting with mom and the kids. This was the only voting where the kids would win in spite of what parents would say.

On the day of the picnic, mom would decide what all things she needs to carry. A bed-sheet for sitting on the grass, a cricket kit and a football for kids to play outdoors and the most important component-the food. The menu was lavish. It started with oranges, apples, and sandwiches. The main course was poori and aloo ki sabzi all packed in a wooden basket. She would keep each member in mind while deciding the menu. Son’s favourite cheese sandwiches. A bottle of coke for daughter with chips and a spicy aam ka achar for dad.

She was so contented with this menu and that her choice never figured in it. But yes, dad would remind her to carry tea in the thermos. Tea was an energy booster for her. For her, the entire family going out together in itself was the biggest reward.

Moms are all-rounders and excel in every field.

I love you mom for your counselling skills

There can be no better counsellor than a mom. She never studied psychology but still, was able to read your face properly. You could never hide your happiness or sadness from her. Law was never her subject but she was your best lawyer in an argument between you and dad.

The Guide and the Philosopher

She is a guide to her newly married daughter on how to settle down in a new environment and how to meet everybody’s expectations. When a son has a tiff with his wife, she speaks in favour of the daughter-in-law and makes son understand and appreciate his wife’s point of view. She is a great listener and absorbs the problems of her kids like a sponge. Every morning you can hear her speaking to one of her daughters and just listening to their day-to-day problems.

Moms are the greatest cook

I love you mom for so many things and food comes at the top. The poori with aloo ki sabzi still has no competition. Sunday afternoon was time to feast on mutton curry and rice. The steaming hot aloo ka paranthas on breakfast served with your homemade aam ka achar is something that I will always cherish. My friends still keep asking when I am inviting them for dinner so that they can taste the mutton Shami kebab and Mattar paneer made by you.

The pickles or achar made by you seems to be a dying art. Every summer getting raw mangoes home and drying them under the sun was a ritual. The secret recipe of spices made the achar so yummy that everybody in the family wanted a piece with a stuffed parantha. Winter was the time to dry out the red chillies under the sun for making the Mirch ka achar. A lot of packaged achars came in the market but none had the magical recipe of yours. I am sure that very soon the era of homemade achars will vanish from our life.

The taste buds still fancy the sweetness of the Kheer, the Gajar ka halwa and the Suji ka halwa made by you. The list is endless and I will always love you mom for bringing that sweetness in my life.

I love you mom because you are the greatest doctor and nurse in my life

A slight cold at the start of the winters and you would serve that Adrak ki chai. During the viral fever days, you would constantly change the wet towels on our forehead and giving medicines on time. It was never the doctor’s medication which made us recover but it was your care and your round the clock presence around us that got us back on feet. Even today just by listening to our voice over the phone you can make out whether we have a sore throat or not.

You will always remain my best teacher

Mom’s of our generation were not the most educationally qualified but they had great teaching skills. In the ’70s and ’80s, there was no concept of tuition. Mom was the only tutor we had. I remember during our primary schooling she would sit with us and make us do the homework. She would make a timetable of exams which we pasted on the walls and she would make us follow it quite religiously. Even our playtime was monitored strictly in accordance with study time.

She was never a mathematics genius but all the household expenses were monitored by her. Dad was the most qualified but still, she was the one who would refill his wallet every day. It was she who always won the argument with dad when it came to telling which bank account had how much balance.

I just wish that life carries on like this

As life moves on so does age. Now, mom is not as active as she was once. Her knee problem makes it difficult for her to stand in the kitchen. She still wants to serve those hot steaming paranthas especially when all her kids and grandkids are sitting on the dining table. A simple request by grandkids for Gajar ka halwa and she is back in action forgetting her knee pain.

She is not a technology buff but makes it a point to like the pictures posted on FB by her kids. She is the first one to wish all her grandkids a happy birthday early in the morning. Once in while she presses the wrong key and all the pictures in her gallery disappear. She feels guilty about it but finally asks for help from one of the grandkids.

She only enjoys if everybody else is enjoying

Now she passes her time watching a Pakistani soap on YouTube. She finds difficult to understand a suspense thriller movie as her reflexes have slowed down. Also, she enjoys watching a movie only if her kids or grandkids are giving her company.

To make a conversation she will check with grandson about his studies but gets a short and abrupt answer “Dadi aapko nahi samajh aayega” (Grandma you will not understand). Kids have to realise that she was the one who tutored their parents.

She no more wants to be a part of a family picnic saying “beta log tum log jayo, mai kya karungi”. Her reason for not going is that she may feel out of the place. But I love you mom and any picnic will be incomplete without you. Don’t worry, I will pack the bed-sheets and the toys and make the poori sabzi for you. We will serve you with your favourite aam ka achar. I  will also carry your favourite tea in the thermos so what if dad is not there anymore to fill it up for you.

I hope this picnic carries on forever and together we keep playing your favourite song “Sochna kya jo bhi hoga dekha jayyega, jo hona hoga hoga dekha jayega………….. Saath hai hum sab is se badi kya Khushi”

Listen to the full song on the following link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeOeoqVF3zY

You can enjoy reading such similar stories on my blog. Click on the link below:

The Grandparents and their walking stick standing in a corner

The Journey of Life with parents by your side