Mamma called up this morning to tell me that she is sending a 'dryfruits-honey lehyam' (chavanprash equivalent) and wanted me to take a one tablespoon dose everyday. At 22, with a good job and an independent life, my parents still pamper me like they did when I was a 2 year old baby.What makes Indian parents love their kids so much...No...I don't mean to say that non-Indian's don't, but then still, what exactly makes the scenario here so different, so unique ? Parents in India don't exactly mind supporting their kids untill they are 'completely independent'....and this is probably the only criterion. Immaterial of your age, be it 25, 30 and in some cases 50, as long as your parents are alive you can be rest assured that you have a shoulder to lean, and probably this is the only quarter where you will get unconditional love !!!
What makes us so unique ? Is it the family bonding,is it the child centric family structure, is it the sense of pride that we associate with our children or is it just a tradition that we follow without a question.
I've had many arguements with my peers convincing them about the different facets of Indian culture that differentiate us from the rest of the world, and off these probably the most important aspect would be the sense of belonging and love in our parents. Ofcourse there are exceptions to the rule, there are people in slums who send their children out to the rough world at an age of 8, not just to fend for themselves but also for the entire family. but still end of the day the bonding is strong and the sense of belonging is deep!
Here's a true life story of a mother who at an age of 79 still tries to ensure that she does her mighty bit to secure her youngest sons(54) future. She's a woman who lost her husband at a very early age and her life was by default laid at the mercy of the joint family system. Her husband was an intellectual genius, he had made a fortune at an early age and was also smart enough to save and invest most of his salary. The only mistake he made was, he never thought it was necessary to teach his wife the nuances of the monetary world, and at a young age of 24 there she was all alone with three small kids and a fortune which she had no clue how to handle!!!
This might sound like just another Hindi movie of the 60s but this is true. The whole world enjoyed a share of her money and she was made to believe that she was living at their mercy. The typical petite Indian woman that she was, she agreed and let life flow past her. She loved her children and probably that was the only reason why she continued to live. But unfortunately, she did not have the guts to stand up for their rights, she did not know how to voice out her opinions. Money that the children rightfully desrved was in abundance , but unfortunately for them, they never got any of those little things that every child yearned for!!! The kids grew, without a father and probably without a strong mother, they grew up, coz' they had to, after all time flows by and you move along with it!!! The older two, learnt to fight, they learnt to live - the hard way, many a time they felt there was nobody to look up to, mama always loved them, but unfortunately she could never fight for them and could not teach them how to conquer the 'bad world'!!! The youngest son, could not fend for himself, and this is when mama's affection came up, she never taught him how to be independent, she always encouraged him to 'depend'... life has moved on, this woman lived a life without happiness for more than 50 years, and still the Indian family struture managed to bring up two children, who lead a very happy and normal life as per society norms. The third son fell a prey and lost track somewhere, but still he has a mother who is still trying her best to ensure that her son has a secure home a steady source of income till death.
Try and write a similar story from another part of the globe...?? Will a woman lead 50 years of her life with no happiness, just to ensure that she is 'there' for her children ? Are we ready to carry this tradition ahead, or are we 'modernising'..?? Is this the right track at all ..??
Why are women not strong enough to stand up for their rights..? Was her sacrifice worth it...would it not have made a big difference had she learnt to fight the 'big world'..!??!!!
The child centric Indian families will continue to strive....Parents at the verge of divorse, single parents with absolutely no inclination to look for another partner...all for one cause...."my child"...After all....-->
"Enthu paranjalum nee endethu alle vave, ninnu kinnungathe onnu kude poru poove..."..!!!
What makes us so unique ? Is it the family bonding,is it the child centric family structure, is it the sense of pride that we associate with our children or is it just a tradition that we follow without a question.
I've had many arguements with my peers convincing them about the different facets of Indian culture that differentiate us from the rest of the world, and off these probably the most important aspect would be the sense of belonging and love in our parents. Ofcourse there are exceptions to the rule, there are people in slums who send their children out to the rough world at an age of 8, not just to fend for themselves but also for the entire family. but still end of the day the bonding is strong and the sense of belonging is deep!
Here's a true life story of a mother who at an age of 79 still tries to ensure that she does her mighty bit to secure her youngest sons(54) future. She's a woman who lost her husband at a very early age and her life was by default laid at the mercy of the joint family system. Her husband was an intellectual genius, he had made a fortune at an early age and was also smart enough to save and invest most of his salary. The only mistake he made was, he never thought it was necessary to teach his wife the nuances of the monetary world, and at a young age of 24 there she was all alone with three small kids and a fortune which she had no clue how to handle!!!
This might sound like just another Hindi movie of the 60s but this is true. The whole world enjoyed a share of her money and she was made to believe that she was living at their mercy. The typical petite Indian woman that she was, she agreed and let life flow past her. She loved her children and probably that was the only reason why she continued to live. But unfortunately, she did not have the guts to stand up for their rights, she did not know how to voice out her opinions. Money that the children rightfully desrved was in abundance , but unfortunately for them, they never got any of those little things that every child yearned for!!! The kids grew, without a father and probably without a strong mother, they grew up, coz' they had to, after all time flows by and you move along with it!!! The older two, learnt to fight, they learnt to live - the hard way, many a time they felt there was nobody to look up to, mama always loved them, but unfortunately she could never fight for them and could not teach them how to conquer the 'bad world'!!! The youngest son, could not fend for himself, and this is when mama's affection came up, she never taught him how to be independent, she always encouraged him to 'depend'... life has moved on, this woman lived a life without happiness for more than 50 years, and still the Indian family struture managed to bring up two children, who lead a very happy and normal life as per society norms. The third son fell a prey and lost track somewhere, but still he has a mother who is still trying her best to ensure that her son has a secure home a steady source of income till death.
Try and write a similar story from another part of the globe...?? Will a woman lead 50 years of her life with no happiness, just to ensure that she is 'there' for her children ? Are we ready to carry this tradition ahead, or are we 'modernising'..?? Is this the right track at all ..??
Why are women not strong enough to stand up for their rights..? Was her sacrifice worth it...would it not have made a big difference had she learnt to fight the 'big world'..!??!!!
The child centric Indian families will continue to strive....Parents at the verge of divorse, single parents with absolutely no inclination to look for another partner...all for one cause...."my child"...After all....-->
"Enthu paranjalum nee endethu alle vave, ninnu kinnungathe onnu kude poru poove..."..!!!
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