Mamochka diwas and Kodai vacation

I had a lesson in Bal Bharati text, in high or secondary school about a Russian little girl who got lost and couldn’t find her mom. When asked by the villagers, she said “My mother is the most beautiful woman in the world”. The story then progresses on how the villagers find her lost mother and to their surprise, (at face value) her mother is probably one of the least beautiful women to encounter. Moral of the story: Mothers are probably the most beautiful and phenomenal species created by God. Well, most of them. 

Until a few years ago, I was in complete awe of my mom. She and my grandmother are the two superpowers who have defined my core. The parts of me that are all nice and accomplished is a result of their investment in me. There is probably no payback to motherhood. No matter what I do or achieve, it shall never equate to their investment. The only payback may come in later lives if they reincarnate as my twin daughters and I hope I am the same good person that I am today. So, I shall let the universe make decisions on payback and in the meantime I shall try and be the best possible son I can be.

Now I believe, the dynamics of a relationship changes with time - but when it comes to mothers - do these dynamics go out of the window? Over the last decade and plus,  where her kids have become independent and started living by themselves - she still inquires about what we eat, or when did I get back home from a late night party or shares her philosophies even when not welcomed! Its probably her mother instinct to be in touch with our lives. On the other hand, I rarely ask her about her daily diets - I expect her to eat healthy, be healthy - that’s the first thing a person should do with their hard earned money! Why earn it otherwise? That’s my philosophy.

In today’s date, the complete awe has more turned into love and hate. I mean there are times I wished she was a lot chilled - like not asking me an infinite amount of questions, not listening to what I have to say and re-asking them; or not worrying about when I drive down alone to Pune or late nights, among others. However, I have to live with the fact that some things shall never change. I mean, she’s grown to be a person that she is for the past 58 years and I can probably only hope to see incremental developments in personality; not radical. So I learn to live with those questions and be responsive of them to the best of my abilities. Some days I need to protest in loud lectures so that there is peace and quiet and no ‘small talk’. She then probably learns a little of how to be around her son who enjoys ‘solitude’ more than small talk. With dads, I believe its all a lot easier since they are not very bothered of what their kids have been up to! Is that true, I wonder ?

So, if this was any other relationship I would written off the “need for regular dialogue” as a deal breaker. Fortunately, for me, in today’s date I can’t throw it away. I quite often threaten my parents to behave themselves else... the repercussions shall be severe. I am of the strong opinion, if parents need to be tamed and made well understood, such threats are crucial for a relationship. However, in all honesty, I doubt how seriously it affects them!

So that’s that. In all this love-hate drama, I make an effort to be a tad better son. So this year in March, I took mom on a vacation with me to Kodai. This vacation was an attempt to help her have a good time, some peace time, some ‘her’ time - away from everyday life.

And I hope she did. She’s one woman who’s kept the child alive in her (that is when she is done with worrying and caring about her entire family); how tangy flavors excite her taste buds, or her undying love for (fragrant) flowers much like kids for ice-creams or chocolates and her super enthusiasm to learn about technology (for her its mostly restricted to computers, television sets and camera). So on this journey, I gave her my digicam (Canon 120 IXUS) and some photography tips. At first she totally failed me as a mentor, but later got better at the game. I taught her about people profiles and how every individual when clicked from certain angles can make a picture perfect portrait. Apart from people portraits that she tried working on me, she also got involved in the scenic beauty of Kodai. Below are some pictures taken from her camera.

Kodai is beautiful. Inspite of the March summer in most of India, Kodai weather had a chill effect - it was absolutely soothing and peaceful. I could take a walk at 3:00 a.m. in the afternoon and still feel fresh in the open. The gardens and lakes stand out in beauty,  the waterfalls and pine trees make a perfect get away in the woods and the sunrise by the hotel balcony with a 6:00 a.m. room service coffee takes customer delight to a whole new level. I would visit this place once again - probably when gardens are full bloom and the weather even more intoxicating !

Today, on Mamochka diwas (mother’s day), with all my heart I am very thankful for the mother I have: a believer that education is the most important asset to give a child, a cook whose food is relished by her kids and their friends, a banker who ran the household and raised two kids to support and fend for themselves, a woman who loves flowers, shopping and has Rekha as her most favorite actress.  And most of all for birthing me with a substantial lot of HAIR. I doubt, I get that from my dad. These days she's also an amateur photography enthusiast! God Bless her with great health and many many satisfying years of life!