The month of May not only bring birthdays of some of my close friends but this year it also marked a complete year at my job. This makes me and another colleague, who joined with me, very happy.
But what makes it commercially important?
I bought a suit for my Amma and her remark on that was too innocent and usual. She was giving me lectures on how should I manage and save money which I cannot do if I spend on such lavish stuff. I said Amma, mother’s day is coming so I thought I must gift you something. She paused for a moment and asked: “does that mean, you will show love to me once in a year only?” I went quite and hugged her.
Later, throughout that week, we all watched that celebrated Dalda mother and various such packages on TV. Daily on my way home, I saw this huge billboard advertising Mother’s Award and every time I use to shake my head with fury. On every channel, they were discussing what a mom should have, what not and blah blah blah. My mother told me while watching such an ad one day, that if you really want to salute motherhood, you must find women who struggled and sacrificed and never respected or in some cases acknowledged. I pondered on that for a while and thought if I ever come across such mothers.
I came across, exactly on mother’s day, yesterday.
My Sunday started when my Amma came running to my bed saying someone has sent you flowers and cake. I was surprised and jumped out of the bed to go and check if am on my way to receive romantic surprises. When I opened the card, I found out it was our family friend who sent it for my Amma on this occasion (he didn’t remember Amma’s name so put on mine). So my mother was overwhelmed and I had a long face after a defeat to my romantic hopes.
Soon afterward, I had my over-due facial appointment. I always get my things done either from Ghazal* or Farah* at the salon and this time Ghazal had her daughter there. To my surprise, her daughter was 11 years old; whereas Ghazal is just 30 or maybe 31. Hailing from a lower-middle-class family of Faisalabad, settled in Karachi, she got married at the age of 15 and had her first and only child at the age of 21.
Ghazala became a widow before she could turn 25. For the last six years, she has been working and bringing up her daughter with proper schooling and other training. I asked her if her daughter misses her on Sundays. She replied with a deep thought “she has to miss her mom not only on Sundays but various days”. I could feel that suffering and longing with which she replied.
Farah, on the other hand, has 2 daughters and since their birth, she is continuously defending her daughters’ existence. She has to fight with the bias her daughters face from their grandmother (Dadi). Farah is doing this with her own strength and husband’s support.
All my life I have heard and found my mother beside me and am thankful for that. And I am a firm believer; mothers are the mentors of daughters. Mother’s Day should be celebrated but for mothers who fight on a daily basis for their children and raise them to stand-up and face the Society.
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY
*Names have been changed to protect privacy
