Sunday, May 10, 2009

On Mother's Day, a tribute to the Stronger Sex

When I was 11, I wrote a poem about my mother. I guess it would be appropriate to share it on this day..

My constant companion in joy and misery alike,
Always soothing, loving, gentle, understanding.
Caring for me with all her heart.

She is always there rejoicing in my joy,
Soothing me when I am sad.

As a child when I became sad, I would hide my feelings and lock them in my heart.
Then she would be there, a gentle word, a soothing touch, always understanding and giving me joy.

Ye, she is my mother, comforting me and lifting me to heaven from gloom unknown.
She would know my feelings of which I know naught,
Always caring gentle loving comforting

I would be rude when she is close,
A lamp whose value I know not when in hand.
When she is away, in darkness do I grope
For the love given by her gentle heart

I know she is with me and shall always be, sharing both joy and misery with me.
My dear mother, my darling most loving friend I ever had.


My mom still treasures this poem. She has locked this up in her locker and every once in a while she takes it out and reads it.

Today after all these years, I have realised just how true each of these words are. My Amma is possibly the sweetest and gentlest person I have met. (and i am sure the world is full of people who would say that about their mothers). The one person who unstintingly pours out love, irrespective of the situation with absolutely no expectation in return-that is Mother.

Most times, we do not understand the huge intrinsic strengths that women have. We take their gentleness and their flexibility for weakness. It took me many years into my adulthood to realise that I had been so completely mistaken in believing that my mother played second fiddle in my Parents’ relationship. Sure, my dad is usually adamant and unyielding. He gets his way most of the time. But her very flexibility and ability to adjust is her strength. My father would not survive without the support of that gentle strength.

So on this day, called Mothers day, (Mother being the most important and ‘purest’ role a woman plays among the many critical roles she plays) I would like to pay a few tributes to the gentler sex.

I have the highest respect for women. Many ancient civilised societies were matriarchal. I am sure the very empowerment of women ensured proper law and order and an overall higher quality of life. The biggest change that happened when small bands of hunter gatherers settled down to become farming tribes was the higher status in which they placed women.
Even today, societies which empower women and give them the respect they deserve are the progressive and progressing societies.

With their amazingly thicker Corpus-Callosum (the bundle of nerves that connect the left brain to the right brain) as compared to men, I am sure women would continue to dominate in intuition, common sense and overall grasp of complex situations.

Let me, as a genuine admirer of the fairer sex, take my hats off to womanhood – Mother, wife, daughter, friend and LEADER.

4 comments:

Satish Shah said...

This is an excellent article and really touched my heart.

Ramgopal Vallath said...

Hey Satish,
Thanks. My mom really loves the poem and she finds it very touching.

Unknown said...

i loved it chamy!!!

Ramgopal Vallath said...

Thank you soo much baby