Dear son
Though Mother's Day, that just went by on Sunday, was an occasion for children to express their feelings and love for their moms, this time I thought of thanking you for giving me the chance to experience the rollercoaster ride of emotions of being a mother. It has been almost four years since you came in my life and since then, I have felt exhilaration, ecstasy, agony and anger; sometimes even a curious cocktail of all of the above. The only thing missing is solitude, but then, I wouldn't have it any other way.
From those days when you slept quietly and snugly in my lap to today, when you run into my arms as you come back from school, from when I waited with bated breath to hear you say 'mumma' for the first time, to today, when I ask you to stay quiet for at least a minute, as you chatter away non-stop, every moment spent with you is unforgettable.
I am amply repaid for my many sleepless nights when you hug me tightly and I feel your baby lips upon my face. I forget my anger instantly, when knowing my tendency to have throat allergies, you remark innocently, "Mumma, don't shout at me or your throat will hurt." Your little cares and caresses are perfect remedies for every pain and problems.
So I am taking this opportunity today to pledge something to you. Dear son, right now you are young and you need my presence throughout the day. Soon, the time will come when your friends and studies will command your attention and your time. Then you won't be needing your mom as much. So I pledge to quietly take a step back at every stage of your life when your needs and priorities will change, be it for friends right now, studies as you grow up, and finally for some pretty lady who will then come in your life and will take away my job of taking care of you from me. But don't worry, I will always stand behind you as your friend, your guide and your most unflinching supporter.
{{/usCountry}}So I am taking this opportunity today to pledge something to you. Dear son, right now you are young and you need my presence throughout the day. Soon, the time will come when your friends and studies will command your attention and your time. Then you won't be needing your mom as much. So I pledge to quietly take a step back at every stage of your life when your needs and priorities will change, be it for friends right now, studies as you grow up, and finally for some pretty lady who will then come in your life and will take away my job of taking care of you from me. But don't worry, I will always stand behind you as your friend, your guide and your most unflinching supporter.
{{/usCountry}}I pledge to give you utmost freedom in choosing your life trajectory and I will not force my choices or my unfulfilled dreams upon you. I want you to soar in the sky with your wings intact. Wherever you go and whatever you want to be, you will have your parent's blessings.
I pledge to instill compassion, self-respect and empathy in you instead of teaching you to be first in every exam or to excel in every conceivable extra curricular activity.
Thank you son, for teaching me perseverance and patience, which I never knew existed in me in such inexhaustible supply, and most of all, for teaching me to love unselfishly and unconditionally.
With love,
Kanika Dua Ahuja
dreamermusings@gmail.com