On the occasion of the publication of my new novel, Before We Visit the Goddess, which is all about mothers and daughters and the complex bond between them, I wrote up a piece for Deccan Herald. I'm sharing my thoughts below:
"I wish for all mothers the enduring love of our children, from sweaty, sticky-fingered hugs when they are small to conversations late into the night, with laughter and tears, when they have grown and become our friends. Because the adventure of motherhood is always different, and changing, and precious at every age. I wish for us the ability to take care of our children and support them in the best possible way, and to let them soar away on their own when the time is right.
I wish for us the bustle of the day that tells us how necessary we are to the people around us, especially our children, and the quietness of evening to curl up with a book that makes our imagination take wing. Mothers need time for themselves, too, to heal the soul so that we can be strong for tomorrow. I wish for us to be secure in our own selves no matter what society might say, in our confidence in the sacred and challenging role of motherhood that we have taken on — and sometimes compromised or sacrificed our careers for. I want mothers, when they are asked what they do, to say proudly, I am a mother. Because of all the jobs we do, it is the toughest and most satisfying. And without mothers, this world would come to an end."
The above mother-and-child painting by Jamini Roy is one of my favorites.
Several other women contributed lovely thoughts to the same article. To read the whole thing, please go to http://www.deccanherald.com/content/544810/what-mothers-want.html
What are your wishes – for yourself, or for all mothers, on this Mother's Day? Please write in. I would love to know.
