When we see a good looking girl, we say “she is beautiful”. But
when it comes to ‘most beautiful’, it is always our mother who will
flash in our mind. Yes, this article is about her.
Even when she was at college, I dint leave her study peacefully. I was eight months old in her womb, when she took her final examination. In spite of me disturbing her, she graduated with first class.
I was born at Sivagangai near Karaikudi. When I was four years old, my sister was born. We all came to Chennai after that. My father worked in a company at Royapettah. I remember, I always fought with my mother. My mother beat me for all my misbehaviours. In turn, I beat her ten times counting from one to ten (theriyumla nangellam appavae rowdy).
My father was unable to run the family with his meagre income. My mother, being a graduate, she too wanted to work. She searched and she got a job as an accountant in a private company at Ambattur Industrial estate. As the rent was less at Ambattur, we shifted there. My father was ready to travel to Royapettah from Ambattur. My sister and I joined in a matriculation school nearby. I was seven years old then.
Our school ends at 3.30 PM. We reach home at 3.45 PM. The verandah key will be at our neighbour’s home. There will be a box in which my mother keeps the snacks– biscuits and cut fruits. We eat, study and sleep there. My mother reaches home at 7 PM and my father at 9 PM.
Days passed, I was 11 years old. Our needs increased day by day. My parents were not able to manage the growing financial needs of the family. We opened a STD booth at Ambattur. We had the shop open from 4 PM to 12 AM. I took care from 4 PM to 9 PM, later my father use to be there till 12 AM. We also had a small black and white Solidaire TV at the shop. I remember we had a pirated cable TV connection for 40 a month. Whenever I had exams, I use to take the books along with me to study.
Days went, I was 13 then, we saved some money. Also my both grandparents helped us financially; moreover, we borrowed interest free money from outside and we got a house for ourselves. We felt happy. My sister and I always quarrel for all the things especially for snacks. Though she fought with me all the time, she too was aware of the struggle put by my father and mother to bring us up.
Two years passed, I was into tenth. My mother did not want me to look after the shop as she thought it would affect my studies. Even my father was not able to travel daily, so he quit his job. My father completely took care of the shop whereas I started completely concentrating on my studies. (Now, please don’t ask me how much I scored in tenth).
Nowadays, there was no fight between me and sister. We shared everything. We became good friends. It was the time; the mobile phones started becoming popular. Within few months, our business became dull. We were pushed to the same point where we started. We were unable to meet our basic expenses. At that time, my grandfather was there in Malaysia. He helped my father get a job there in a temple. My father went there as I completed my 11th standard.
In 2005, I completed my twelfth. My mother wanted me to take a college outside Chennai. I explored and found that Mepco Schlenk was at second place in Anna University ranking list. She left the choice to me. I took Mepco. There was a month time between my completion and the college reopening. My mother left to office and my sister to school. I was alone at home. I cried in front of the mirror – asking myself how I’m going to stay alone without these people, with whom I’ll fight, how I’m going to manage everything.
I went there. I was homesick for first few days. I got good friends. I stayed in hostel for two years. Later we rented a house at Virudhunagar. I spent time with my best friends. Each and every day was filled with fun and frolic. I completed my engineering. I got placed in a software company.
I spoke about my father, myself and my sister, but there is one person who is behind the screen and does everything silently and keeps us moving. Yes, it is my mother who is responsible for whatever we are now. She is the sun around whom we are revolving as planets. Yes, it is she, who is taking care of all of us silently. It is she, who keeps us moving. She is struggling since I’m five years old. I’m with her for 23 years now; even then I don’t know when she gets up. Whenever, I got up, I can see her busy roaming here and there, taking care of the entire house hold activities.
She wakes up. She does all the cooking – breakfast and lunch. She gets ready. She wakes us up. Later she packs the food for us. She starts at 8.30 AM. The security will close the office gate at 9.00 AM sharp. She has to be there within 9. She goes there, does all the work assigned to her with utmost care and responsibility. She leaves office at 6 PM. Returns at 6.30 PM. When she comes, she buys snacks, groceries, vegetables and all the things that are needed for the next day. After returning, she doesn’t rest even for a second. She takes care of the dinner. She washes all the vessels. She eats and then goes to bed to do all these things the next day.
She doesn’t want to waste time combing and maintaining her hair, so she shaved her head when she was 40. She did it, so that she could save at least 10 minutes daily. When I was at Virudhunagar and my father was in Malaysia, she also had additional work. She has to pay the current bill, telephone bill. She has to go to ration. She has to register for the cylinder and get it delivered.
Only one day leave for her. During this day, she washes all the clothes. She makes dosa flour, only then she will be able to prepare food for the rest of the week. My mother is a vegetarian. She doesn’t know how to cook non vegetarian. But she learnt it for ours sake. She has never tasted it, but she cooks it in such a way that it tastes delicious.
I wonder how she is able to take care of all these things. When I was in Virudhunagar, we were five friends staying together. Unable to meet the food expenses, we decided to cook at home. We started cooking food. We divide the work among five of us. One friend buys the groceries. Two friends cook. The other two wash the vessels. In spite of dividing the work amongst us, we felt hard to stick to it. Really, I wonder how come she is able to take care of all these things alone without even a single day break.
She made me to study outside Chennai, because of which I learnt many things. It taught me - how one has to adjust with friends, how one should manage expenses, how to be flexible, how to be independent, how one has to keep going even when the loved ones are not around.
In fact, I knew how difficult it is to do all these things, but I felt the real pain involved only after my stay at Virudhunagar. After coming here, I wanted to share the work she did. As I started earning from my end, I wanted both my parents to stop working. My father is now in Chennai. I asked him not to go again anywhere to earn. Money is needed but it can’t buy us everything. I have even asked my mother to quit her job so many times, but she is not interested to do. She says she feels bored at home. I agree, it is one of the reasons, but the real reason is she doesn’t want me to take the whole responsibility on my shoulders.
What we have to do for our parents:
1.We must respect them.
2.We must listen to them and do things accordingly.
3.They may be wrong at times, after all they are humans. In that case, we have to educate them why it was done the other way.
4.We should take care of them till their last breath. We should not put them under the care of old age home. We must live for them.
5.After marriage, there may be some misunderstandings and difference in opinion between one’s spouse and parents. In that case, we have to talk to them to sort things out. We should not think about having a nuclear family with our spouse.
The above points might seem confusing, but when you dig deeper, you will understand all of them meant the same. It just says “Please don’t forget your parents”
In Psychology, I have read that “Everyone has own reasons behind their actions”. But my mother proves this wrong. She does everything for us without expecting anything in return. I am gifted to have a mother like her. Not only my mother, there are hundreds of mothers like her. They live for their children throughout their life. In fact, there is no end to mother’s love, but this article has.
Dedicated to the most beautiful woman,
Kannappan.
Even when she was at college, I dint leave her study peacefully. I was eight months old in her womb, when she took her final examination. In spite of me disturbing her, she graduated with first class.
I was born at Sivagangai near Karaikudi. When I was four years old, my sister was born. We all came to Chennai after that. My father worked in a company at Royapettah. I remember, I always fought with my mother. My mother beat me for all my misbehaviours. In turn, I beat her ten times counting from one to ten (theriyumla nangellam appavae rowdy).
My father was unable to run the family with his meagre income. My mother, being a graduate, she too wanted to work. She searched and she got a job as an accountant in a private company at Ambattur Industrial estate. As the rent was less at Ambattur, we shifted there. My father was ready to travel to Royapettah from Ambattur. My sister and I joined in a matriculation school nearby. I was seven years old then.
Our school ends at 3.30 PM. We reach home at 3.45 PM. The verandah key will be at our neighbour’s home. There will be a box in which my mother keeps the snacks– biscuits and cut fruits. We eat, study and sleep there. My mother reaches home at 7 PM and my father at 9 PM.
Days passed, I was 11 years old. Our needs increased day by day. My parents were not able to manage the growing financial needs of the family. We opened a STD booth at Ambattur. We had the shop open from 4 PM to 12 AM. I took care from 4 PM to 9 PM, later my father use to be there till 12 AM. We also had a small black and white Solidaire TV at the shop. I remember we had a pirated cable TV connection for 40 a month. Whenever I had exams, I use to take the books along with me to study.
Days went, I was 13 then, we saved some money. Also my both grandparents helped us financially; moreover, we borrowed interest free money from outside and we got a house for ourselves. We felt happy. My sister and I always quarrel for all the things especially for snacks. Though she fought with me all the time, she too was aware of the struggle put by my father and mother to bring us up.
Two years passed, I was into tenth. My mother did not want me to look after the shop as she thought it would affect my studies. Even my father was not able to travel daily, so he quit his job. My father completely took care of the shop whereas I started completely concentrating on my studies. (Now, please don’t ask me how much I scored in tenth).
Nowadays, there was no fight between me and sister. We shared everything. We became good friends. It was the time; the mobile phones started becoming popular. Within few months, our business became dull. We were pushed to the same point where we started. We were unable to meet our basic expenses. At that time, my grandfather was there in Malaysia. He helped my father get a job there in a temple. My father went there as I completed my 11th standard.
In 2005, I completed my twelfth. My mother wanted me to take a college outside Chennai. I explored and found that Mepco Schlenk was at second place in Anna University ranking list. She left the choice to me. I took Mepco. There was a month time between my completion and the college reopening. My mother left to office and my sister to school. I was alone at home. I cried in front of the mirror – asking myself how I’m going to stay alone without these people, with whom I’ll fight, how I’m going to manage everything.
I went there. I was homesick for first few days. I got good friends. I stayed in hostel for two years. Later we rented a house at Virudhunagar. I spent time with my best friends. Each and every day was filled with fun and frolic. I completed my engineering. I got placed in a software company.
I spoke about my father, myself and my sister, but there is one person who is behind the screen and does everything silently and keeps us moving. Yes, it is my mother who is responsible for whatever we are now. She is the sun around whom we are revolving as planets. Yes, it is she, who is taking care of all of us silently. It is she, who keeps us moving. She is struggling since I’m five years old. I’m with her for 23 years now; even then I don’t know when she gets up. Whenever, I got up, I can see her busy roaming here and there, taking care of the entire house hold activities.
She wakes up. She does all the cooking – breakfast and lunch. She gets ready. She wakes us up. Later she packs the food for us. She starts at 8.30 AM. The security will close the office gate at 9.00 AM sharp. She has to be there within 9. She goes there, does all the work assigned to her with utmost care and responsibility. She leaves office at 6 PM. Returns at 6.30 PM. When she comes, she buys snacks, groceries, vegetables and all the things that are needed for the next day. After returning, she doesn’t rest even for a second. She takes care of the dinner. She washes all the vessels. She eats and then goes to bed to do all these things the next day.
She doesn’t want to waste time combing and maintaining her hair, so she shaved her head when she was 40. She did it, so that she could save at least 10 minutes daily. When I was at Virudhunagar and my father was in Malaysia, she also had additional work. She has to pay the current bill, telephone bill. She has to go to ration. She has to register for the cylinder and get it delivered.
Only one day leave for her. During this day, she washes all the clothes. She makes dosa flour, only then she will be able to prepare food for the rest of the week. My mother is a vegetarian. She doesn’t know how to cook non vegetarian. But she learnt it for ours sake. She has never tasted it, but she cooks it in such a way that it tastes delicious.
I wonder how she is able to take care of all these things. When I was in Virudhunagar, we were five friends staying together. Unable to meet the food expenses, we decided to cook at home. We started cooking food. We divide the work among five of us. One friend buys the groceries. Two friends cook. The other two wash the vessels. In spite of dividing the work amongst us, we felt hard to stick to it. Really, I wonder how come she is able to take care of all these things alone without even a single day break.
She made me to study outside Chennai, because of which I learnt many things. It taught me - how one has to adjust with friends, how one should manage expenses, how to be flexible, how to be independent, how one has to keep going even when the loved ones are not around.
In fact, I knew how difficult it is to do all these things, but I felt the real pain involved only after my stay at Virudhunagar. After coming here, I wanted to share the work she did. As I started earning from my end, I wanted both my parents to stop working. My father is now in Chennai. I asked him not to go again anywhere to earn. Money is needed but it can’t buy us everything. I have even asked my mother to quit her job so many times, but she is not interested to do. She says she feels bored at home. I agree, it is one of the reasons, but the real reason is she doesn’t want me to take the whole responsibility on my shoulders.
What we have to do for our parents:
1.We must respect them.
2.We must listen to them and do things accordingly.
3.They may be wrong at times, after all they are humans. In that case, we have to educate them why it was done the other way.
4.We should take care of them till their last breath. We should not put them under the care of old age home. We must live for them.
5.After marriage, there may be some misunderstandings and difference in opinion between one’s spouse and parents. In that case, we have to talk to them to sort things out. We should not think about having a nuclear family with our spouse.
The above points might seem confusing, but when you dig deeper, you will understand all of them meant the same. It just says “Please don’t forget your parents”
In Psychology, I have read that “Everyone has own reasons behind their actions”. But my mother proves this wrong. She does everything for us without expecting anything in return. I am gifted to have a mother like her. Not only my mother, there are hundreds of mothers like her. They live for their children throughout their life. In fact, there is no end to mother’s love, but this article has.
Dedicated to the most beautiful woman,
Kannappan.
