I am a stronger woman because I was raised by a working mother

Being a mother is a tough job, and being a working mother is probably the toughest job in the world. I grew up seeing my mother juggling the role of a professional chef and a mother to perfection, and I witnessed how she struggled tirelessly every day with a smug smile. Consciously and subconsciously, I learnt countless life-lessons from the way she handled her life every day and in turn, I grew up becoming a stronger woman. Here’s what I learnt about life, career and everything else from my mother.

I had a role model even before I was born! Until and unless there was an emergency at home, I don’t remember a single day I saw my mother not going to office. No matter how tiring her day was, she returned home with a warm smile. She loved her work and worked harder to achieve her professional goals. My mother sparked the desire in me to work hard for what I truly want in life and be the woman I always want to be.

There were times when she was the only breadwinner in our family but I never saw her complaining to dad or even any relatives about it. She toiled hard to make our family financially secure and gave me another reason to be proud of her. She stood her ground whenever life threw challenges at her, and always looked for solutions rather than cribbing about problems. She taught me that every woman needs to be her strongest self during any adversity. Backing out or giving up is never an option.

She never neglected her household duties and proved a woman can have it all if she is willing to fight for it. Like every kid, I threw tantrums about what I want to eat, where I want to go and troubled her in every possible way. But she made me compromise and spent quality time with me every day. She never missed my bedtime story-telling sessions even if she returned home from office five minutes back. Now I wonder how she managed it all?

My mother made sacrifices for our family that I realised much later in life. She refused a promotion at work because she wanted to help me study for my tenth standard’s exams. I clearly remember she did not buy an extra pair of sandal for herself, and gave me the money for the school picnic. But here’s the most inspiring chapter from her life—amidst juggling all the responsibilities, she spared two hours every night and studied for her post-graduation exams. I still cannot imagine how she survived every day on just four hours of sleep? She is indeed a supermom!

She taught me a woman should always be financially independent and self-reliant. Today, if I need to drive somewhere in the middle of the night, manage my own expenses, or respond to any emergency, I can do it without pressing the panic button. This is possible only because I was raised by her.

Whenever I am stuck in any difficult situation, I think about the struggles my mother overcame and this gives me the confidence that nothing can ever bog me down. She has brought me up with this go-getter and optimistic attitude. I am inspired by her every day and if I become even 10 per cent like her—I know I am doing a good job. I smile when anyone compliments me for my strong personality and proudly say that it is because I am brought up by a strong woman.

(All images used here are representational)