I am just a mom and so I choose to be
For a life full of expectations looks up to me.
I attend a midnight call to soothe him back to sleep;
Just like Doctors do, for a life depends on him.
Italian, Chinese or Continental I learnt to cook
Reading a recipe or a good cook-book
To feed my little one to the best of my ability;
Just like the Chefs do, for fame and humility.
I build tall buildings of lego blocks
And lay out tracks for the trains that never stop;
Just like the Engineers do, to keep the bustling city
cheering 'woo-hoo'.
I read out loud making funny face, point my pencil to the
end of the page;
Just like the Teachers do, to teach my angel a word or two.
I splash some colours on a canvas grey
To encourage two tiny hands to join in the play;
Just like the Artists do, to express themselves without much
ado.
Yes! I am 'just- a- mom' and I proudly choose to be
It's enough for me,
Until I mould the life that has born out of me.
(- by
Pratima)
A Stay-at-home mom is always plagued by one standard
question by all her working peers,
"So what do u do?" " U r just a mom, not
working anymore?"
And its from a personal experience I speak. At first I was
embarrassed then guilty about not going out to work and pursing my career I
worked so hard for. But then as time passed by I realized what I would have
missed out on had I joined work soon after my son was born. Just bringing a
child to world is not enough, the main “job” starts in actually raising one. Of
course I should mention that I had the privilege to choose to be at home, where
many don't. But what is so bad about this choice that stay-at-home-moms are so
looked down, as idle housewives when it’s the toughest job in the world… not
time bound and totally undefined KRAs under High pressure and stress levels.
JUST- A- MOM eh??
Stay-at-home is a choice, just as being a breadwinner; some choose the former, and some latter depending on the priorities and circumstances you are in. In either case nobody should have a right to question the other except yourself for you know what is right for you and your little one. I have made mine and I am not embarrassed neither guilty anymore for I know my talent ain't going anywhere, its just a new dimension to my ambition.
You are doing a terrific "JOB" of raising V. I loved the poem. See, you are a poet too : )
ReplyDeleteThe oppurtunities will come for everything and for real talent, they will not stop. We decide which and when to choose from to maintain our own balance in life. Everyone should define their own balance. Life should always be about considerations for everyone around. It's complex as it is anyway :)
Thanks Poornima for your response.. its important to have different perspective to maintain the perfect balance :)
DeletePG1 and PG2 (Priti and Pratima),
ReplyDeleteYour endeavour at 'Parental Guidance (PG3)' through this blog is inspirational. And the number of good perspectives (PG4) that you guys are bringing in here adequately make the point that sincere parenting by stay-in moms is no less than a 'Post Graduate (PG5)' qualification effort, even dwarfing it. Hope i didnt go berserk with my P's and G's, errr Q's.:)
Pretty Good (PG6) stuff really! Here's to many more PG's.
- Milind
Thanks for all the PGs' you have pointed out.. we will definitely come back with more of them - PG1 and PG2
Delete@PG1 & PG2: yup - its indeed a refreshing thing definitely.
ReplyDelete@milind: ye PG PG kar kar ke tumne PJ kar diya hai :D
overall, Poornima has put it very nicely. As long as its a personal choice, its yours to make. The pain comes when it becomes an opinion war on whether some1 who works and has a child is justified or whether it is someone who stops working at that.