Hola…
Hope the weather and your life is treating you fair enough. If by any chance you follow my blog you would know I mostly write about random things of life. There are many phases of life and a person like me with minimalistic guidance learns every single day. Not everything can be found on internet but life’s lessons has taught me manifold which I am not diving into.
Today I am not going discuss about my life or my challenges or my perspective about life. It’s been quite some time that I have been living offshore and in these years I have come across many people with reams of emotions and personalities. Almost everyone has had left some impression on my mind which I browse through periodically. This time I am going to discuss about a lady who in my mind is an ‘iron lady’.
Okay, so it goes like this…..When we moved to this new place and I was a complete out-of-stater, things were onerous. I thought so, perhaps. I was a bit skeptical because my child was going to start full day school and sending by bus was a new concept for me too. Previously I was at his service. Now all the school buses are yellow and it was mystifying for me to an extent. Just like my child my apprehensions settled down too within a week. Now there was yellow bus which used to stop next to my building and only child used to get down and before I could see properly she would enter the building with ‘help’ from her mother. This continued for weeks rolling into months. Gradually I got familiar with other families and realized that she was a specially abled child who was ‘extremely sensitive’ to her surroundings. She is so sensitive that her room has no toys, very dim lights, rarely any visitors and her anger frustration all over the place.
With time I became more curious to talk to her mother. I wanted to talk not to lend any sympathy but my simple curiosity made me approach her. I could sense that the mother was avoiding me. She overlooked my smile or simply refused to make any eye contact even though there wouldn’t be anyone else on the road. I tried a bit more and on one fine sunny day we exchanged smiles followed by small talks and discussing random things like weather and ticket prices. Hey eyes would show signs of stress and pain. I took time and didn’t want to dive into discussing about her daughter. She surprised me when she said that she was expecting a second child. My mind could not process a lot of questions and emotions together at the same time. I congratulated her and left. A few days followed and I kept enquiring about her health and one fine day she broke down. I tried to pacify her thinking these could have been just hormones playing games. I offered her to come to my home and surprisingly she obliged. I was extra cautious to avoid talking about her daughter but she completely broke down. She confessed her fears. Her daughter who seemed different within a few days of birth. The anxious parents sensed and tried all possible medical help within their limitations. The doctors declared that her growth would be really slow and very different. She would have different pattern of eating, sleeping, socializing (there isn’t any yet) and most of her life she would have assisted living. Even though I had heard about her daughter but coming from a mom who is expecting another almost swept me off my feet. This mother didn’t care for anything else and she lived every moment for her daughter. Her only aim was to make her daughter independent where she is in a position to take care of herself. Her daughter speaks a few words and her mother works tirelessly on her vocabulary building as well. The exhausted pregnant mother never requested her husband to make any delicacy or bring any food from outside. She feared if her daughter demanded and if that food worsened her health. The neighbors have been admissibly good enough to share food and offer help. Her in laws have maintained distance when they discovered the situation. The lady has lost her parents too. I almost went numb….Her daughter used to go to special school and when she reached third trimester she slowed down her school too. We couldn’t go to her home fearing not to disturb her daughter. Soon she gave birth to another daughter. The anxious parents ran a series of tests to ease their minds. It was indeed a test of their perseverance and after a few moths the baby was declared fine. I can add more lines to this story but I am keeping it short.
I have seen this lady all these years. She took care of a special child, still happily doing, swimmed through her pregnancy, gave birth and now raising both of them now. They cannot travel far, go for movies. Parks are the only indulgences for them. This lady has almost forgotten how to put on make up, attend social functions, visit her relatives or go for shopping. She begs for extra time from the universe. Her tears have dried up long time back and she bravely holds on to her smile. Her husband has been her back bone all throughout. Her husband salutes her almost every other day and considers her to be a blessing in his life.
Not just this women’s day but every day I look up to her and consider to be women’s day. My everyday problems fall flat in front of her challenges. With folded hands I pray for her and me. Strength for her and patience for me :)
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