Mother is the first teacher

Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful mothers of the world.

One of the proudest moments of my life has been when one of my students called me ‘Walking Encyclopaedia’ Whatever little I have achieved in my life, the credit goes to my habit of reading books, my spiritual practice and my strong academic foundation. All the three are gifts of my mother though I often had unrealistic expectations from her and that’s why there were huge ups and downs in our relationship.

The saying goes, “God could not be everywhere so he made mothers” but I believe god is everywhere and yet she/he needs the help of mothers to do her/his job. We have the highest expectations from both God and mother. After seeing the Hindi film, ‘God tussi great ho’ (God you are great) I have developed sympathies for both God and mother. We are so unrealistic in our expectations from God and mother and yet when it comes to our duties, we take them for granted.

The mother is also our first teacher. And she is a source of solace which you cannot get anywhere else. You may be ill, disheartened or insecure but you just need to lay your head in her lap and all problems are solved.  I gained back my lost self esteem and shifted myself from a fool’s paradise to the real one only and only through her encouragement and support. Of course a mother's love is always unconditional, so may God bless all the mothers of the world and give them more nurturing capacity.

Here are a few lines from a poem I wrote in my childhood days for my mother.

An ode to my mother

“She is a friend, a teacher,

A true multi-faceted personality.

She is someone special

In times of crisis, you can always look upto,

In times of happiness, you can always share with.

She has always brought to my life,

Ripples of happiness.

Saying I am just an idol, designed by her hands,

Won’t be an exaggeration.”