Mother’s Day

As I sat in front of my laptop, rubbing my eyes and clacking the keyboard, she came in with a cup of hot tea and a smile that can brighten the deepest of caves.

“Ma, you didn’t have to! I was just about to come and get it myself.” I said, sipping gratefully from the mug of elixir, or so it seemed.

“That’s ok Beta, I was making one for myself and so I made you a cup as well” she waved her efforts off nonchalantly.

“How do you do it Ma?” I didn’t realise I wondered this out loud.

“What my dear son? Making tea?” she laughed.

“I meant how do you do all of this? Knowing whom to take care of and when. Don’t tell me it’s a mother’s super power.”

“Ha-ha you stole my answer!” she laughed. “When the responsibility of a household comes to rest on your shoulders, you learn to do it.

I have been tending to you from the time you were able to fit into my hands. I know when you get hungry, cranky, happy or sad. It’s true that a mother’s instinct is very powerful towards her children. I am thankful that it holds true even today.

And when you’re the woman of the family, at one stage or other, you tend to become the mother of all the family members, helping when it’s needed, giving a shoulder to cry on or simply just by being there. Making delicious food alone doesn’t define motherhood. It’s much more complicated than that.”

“And who takes care of you?”

“My family does. They pull me up when I am down and enjoy with me during the happy times. I am so very blessed to have a family like this one.” She smiled.

And what a smile it was! I truly am the lucky one to have such a mother. Thinking to myself that the timing couldn’t get any better I said “Ma, I have a surprise for you, just wait here.”

She was visibly surprised and nodded at me.

It’s Mother’s day today. I had purchased her favourite gift ages ago hoping to make her happy by springing this surprise on her.

As I brought in the sleek maroon box, her eyes widened, for she knows what it can possibly be. I opened the rectangular box with “Kalyan Jewellers” engraved in gold with the tell-tale click and showed her its contents.

“My goodness, it is beautiful Beta!” she exclaimed at the ornate golden necklace that was nestled in soft velvet box. She loved jewellery, necklaces especially.

“Happy Mother’s day Ma! Do you like it? Tell honestly.”

“I love it dear, but you shouldn’t have! It looks expensive also. Why spend on it unnecessarily?”

“I know this is what you’d say. That is why I bought it as a surprise for you.”

She smiled again, amidst happy tears that were forming at the corner of her eyes. Even after being solely responsible for the happiness of my family, she acted as though she was nothing but a simpleton who knew nothing. My mother is truly a superwoman and motherhood is surely a wonder.