'Maa tujhe salaam'

My mom is a rockstar

Often think had I been a girl I would have been better human being. The only reason that makes me contemplate this preposterous idea is that I simply adore my mother so much that even while I am a boy I want to emulate her completely. She has been a friend and confidant not just to her children, but also many other individuals of my generation.
 Every child is totally dependant on his or her mom and who in turn offers unconditional love and care. At these times mom is everything. With age this dependency decreases and maturity comes. For with this maturity came the realization that my mom is indeed The ROCKSTAR in my life. I love not only because she gave me life and all the love to nurture me, but also for being a wonderful person she is.

Objectively speaking about her (in spite of being her son) I genuinely feel she is an extremely affectionate and pleasant individual. I am sure this opinion is shared by everyone who knows her. It is a quality of hers that’s evident even when you meet her for the first time.
 With parents there often is issue of generation gap. I have had my own trivial issues once in a while. But soon I realized that most of our family and friends had no one else but mom to look up to when it came to resolving these issues. She has touched so many lives apart from her own family members in a way no one can ever forget.
I happen to share a lot of her habits and tastes when it comes to food and daily lifestyle. But how I sorely regret I am not even a patch oh her when it comes to being the kind of personality she is. Her affinity is universal and I know how often my cousins and friends secretly are envious of me for having such a cool mom (and also feel lucky for having her for them as a friend).

Anuj Jain

Thank you

my mother symbolises love , affection , inspiration and positive attitude . she gave me the direction  and aim  in my life and strength to acheive it in my journey , i am proud to say she is my  real hero in every sense , she stands for the pillar of eternal strength and sacrifice for me . she took pains  and gave every inch in her life to make me better, wiser and competitive in everthing i did as a child and teenager , she played the role of a mom , sister , a guide as well as a mentor to me , i cant count the sacrifices she made for me with the eversmiling adorable face . i respect her for the human being she is and the love she has showered on me all my life , thank you mom no words are enough to show my gratitude , thank you god for letting me have such a mom , i can just say two words to my mom "thank you " and the the most important three words "i love you" .
mother i just hope i can repay you with half as much love which you gave me , so that i can atleast call myself your dutiful loving  son .

Kunal Vora

My mommy is the greatest

Me: "Good morning mom!"
Mom: "Did you complete your homework last night?"
Me: "What a pretty morning it is!"
Mom: "At what time did you sleep?"
Me: "The sky is so blue and the grass is so green and a merry wind is blo—"
Mom: "The elements of nature shall always remain thus. But if you don't work hard your report card will be bad forever. Shun away your distractions, and remember…." and so on and so forth. This is a typical 'good-morning' conversation between mom and me. You see, mom is a professor of english language and a die-hard fan of Shakespeare and his plays and hornets…er…sonnets. She is fabulous in her subject and helps me with my homework. If I have problems in other subjects, she gets her colleagues to bail me out. However, having a twenty-four hour professor at home is a bit of a problem sometimes. And when professors, more precisely professor moms, start speaking on their all-time favourite topics of  'disobedience amongst teenagers' or 'fashion trends adopted by teenagers', it is best to shut your ears plus mouth and go to a far, far away land, all the while giving an impression of concentration and repentance.

      But jokes apart, my mother is the anchor of my life. Balancing family and professional lives is not an easy job. But she has always been there for me – success or failure, happiness or grief. She loves me and so she is worried about me. Even though I am a college student, I get regular instructions on how to cross the road safely. And when I had dressed up in a pretty violet sari for my 12th standard farewell party, she was wistful, "I never knew when my baby grew up." It was hard not to cry. There are little things, you know, that count. Like when I have an early morning class and she is up, even before the alarm rings, to wake me. Like when she massages my head while listening to my problems at college – listening, suggesting and understanding. Like when she cooks lip-smacking pakoras for tea just after we have had heated arguments about something. Oh yes! We do fight! And when we do so, there is no dearth of verbal ammunition on either side. Mom's favourite tag line is "Laziness is the worst foe of mankind!". And I take great pleasure in retorting with "Oh yeah? But he is my best friend!". But after we are done, I usually apologize. Accusations flung at each other aren't given a dime's worth of importance. And of course, I know that I will always be forgiven.

        Yes, my ma knows everything – my aspirations, dreams, hopes and fears. She tries to give the best of everything to me. She wants me to achieve the goals that I have set for myself. She wants me to spread my wings. But she is reluctant to let go. But ma, I am not going to go forever. I may become independent but I will always be there for you, just like you were there when I needed you. You are a friend and mentor like no one else. Words seem a dry and cliched jumble of letters, when I try to express my love and gratitude for you. All I can say, is that, you are the best ma in the world. Thank you so much. 

Rajendra Kumar Srivastava

My mom, my best friend, my soulmate…

Memories of her are filled with love and a sense of security. She went through circumstances that would overcome most people but came out on top and did it with a smile.

She was a talkative vegetarian maharashtrian brahmin girl who met my quiet non vegetarian catholic keralite father in med school. Like a hindi movie, they fell in love and proceeded to walk down the aisle. The problem? My mother's background only involved circling fires. She promptly fainted in church during the ceremony when the magnitude of what she was doing hit her…but woke up and got married. One of her earliest memories is being scolded for eating eggs at a neighbour's house, earliest memory after marriage? Slaughter of a cow in a relative's backyard. She battled nausea and horror at the sight but gamely went on to learn to cook every kind of meat there is. Impossible as it sounds, she makes mouth watering non veg dishes while staying a vegetarian. She struggled with the language initially but claims " blissful ignorance" of the early hurtful criticism. Today, she is a fluent malayali whose sunny disposition won over everyone including irascible in laws. She took us religiously to church to give us a good catholic upbringing though she kept her hindu faith and only stopped when we were older and understood. She struggled to balance work and family and today, is one of the most famous and loved doctors in my city along with being a fabulous mom. She rocked both her professional and personal lives!

My mom, my best friend,my soulmate… If I could be half the woman she is, I would be proud! "

Leena Varkey
Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

A symbol of sacrifice

Dear all,
My mom...can simply be described as symbol of selfless and sacrifice.
Well... what she has done? To highlight a few...

1. We were a family(economically poor at that time) of eight children, though our mom was less educated(may be upto class IV), she had great VISION that their children to be educated and she strived for it and we are all educated. How?
  *she took some time off to knit palm leaves to be sold to small hotels for serving food..excellent knitting Quality..always in demand.. QUALITY of work was imbibed in our mind right at young age.   
  *during seasons made us to take out outer shell of aereca nut, so that we can buy & stitch school uniforms.

2. Perfect planner...
  *her meticulous preparations for festivals were a treat to watch.
  *her 'rangoli' on special occasions...superb

3. Though we were from upper caste, that never bothered her...taught us non-descrimination at childhood itself.
  *took the role of 'nurse/dadi' whenever required and helped them(lower caste people) during pregnency...they liked my mom very much.

4. Helping neighbors...always available at odd hours.. to console them.

5. She was reading even news papers and was aware of all happening in the outside world...we were remarking that she can outsmart Indira Gandhi, our late PM

6. She has stayed in nursing homes during night to take care of me when in distress...scene can be visualised even now... and taking care of grand children

7. Thro'out her life always active, never lazy

8. What we have done inturn? though something... not much.

  My mom...really great...symbol of sacrifice and selflessness.

  Thanks for rediff for sharing views.

HV Keshava Murthy 

'Maa tujhe salaam'

What my mother means to me... "Light at the end of the tunnel"….this is not a simple phrase for me, because ask me what darkness is & I shall explain my past? I think this is one such opportunity when I can share my innermost thoughts & emotions.

Today when I look back into the past I think as to what might have happened if my mother was not as brave & positive as she is. I would have been just any other person who would have vanished in the struggle of life. I still remember my childhood days filled with poverty & misery. I had a father who never knew his family & commitments. My mother was just another creature to be tortured by him. My mother would never give up…..with all this happening she would get me some food at the cost of her own hunger. She inspired me to do well on my education & made me realize that it's going to be my strongest asset in future. The path of struggle & survival was not short; it had a long way to go. I often saw her crying in solitude, suffering in pain & woes. But she never made me realize all that; all that she did was to show me the direction to be walking in with self-confidence & courage.

Long after that, there was a day when I wanted to an Army Officer & serve my motherland. Hats of to my mother who kept me motivated for this cause. But fate struck me again & I got a medical rejection. That in fact put me into a long depression & isolation. It was my mother (or my amma) who told me that I can still be a soldier which might not be the battlefield.

Today she is old but still determined, she is proud of me for what I am. But I still think about the past….just for one thing, that is to answer the question "How will I ever pay-back my mother for what I am today?" I don't get an answer…because there is no answer. That's when I realize that 'God could not be everywhere & that's why he created Mothers'

So today with light around me, I offer my infinite salutes to my mother & all the mothers on this earth who have sacrificed their lives for their children.

'Maa thuje salaam'

Puneeth Upadhyaya

My tribute to my mother

Janani Janmabhoomishcha Swargadapi Gariyasi

I guess the date is not important but the sentiments are. Here comes another of Sundays, another of 2nd Sundays of the month, but the coming one is special.
Why I wrote the quote Janani…… is a reminder that having a mom and that too a wonderful one like mine is so that I can enjoy the pleasures of swarga( heaven-for the torchbearers of English) right here. It's a different issue that I might not have the good fortune of visiting one post mortem. My mom is great and why, I would elaborate in pointers- this because I am used to writing my answers in exams this way.
1)     She doesn't preach- she does and doesn't expect us follow her too. The result is invariably we end up following her. Wow cool man we really wonder if she's a psychoanalyst of sorts. 
2)     She isn't educated much but she always egged us to keep studying further. I am doing my PhD and she says it's not about publishing papers but to search search and re-search this is what research is.
3)     Modern values- if not for her I ,like several others, would have confused this with the way we dress, the posh houses we live in, the car we drive and other several materialistic pursuits. Today if I think that walking my head held high in a man's world is being modern, is thanks to her.
4)     She's just not my janani she's jagat janani. If the small girls of the presswaali or the 2 sons of kaamwaalibai could write to rediff then they would have written today about my mom not me. Maybe they would in 10 years time that how a lady staying alone, with her two ingrate kids pursuing higher education in different locations, refuses to be wary of her loneliness and chooses to educate few other kids of the locality. In light of this I wish to change the title of my prose to tribute to a universal mother.

Bhavana

She transferred her positive attitude

My mother was born, after her father's death, at a very young age. She got married in a family, which, having lost property & jewellery due to some reasons, was in dire financial straits. But she did not allow the home atmosphere to become morose & dull. She had a great ability to withstand the rigours of life, taking things in the stride & not allowing any one to come under stress, by her  balanced, calm & composed nature.  With little education, but lot of common sense, she managed her household admirably well, not only economising on all fronts, but also caring for her widow mother. She had a lot of influence on the growth of her children. She knew that low level of literacy, is a big stumbling block in the path of progress. Inspite of tough conditions of life, she did not allow depression to set in our lives & always generated hopes for a brighter future, whatever the difficulties. She transferred her positive attitude in life, to her children as well. She cared for, guided, moulded, inspired, advised & educated her three children viz. two boys and one girl child. With her blessings, one of us is an engineer, another medical doctor & yet another headmistress of a higher secondary school. In short, my mother played an important role in shaping our lives. We  do not have proper words to express our gratefulness to her. She was very special for us. She had a personality of her own. We are certain, she was the greatest. Her passing away was a big loss to all of us.  By educating her children well, she proved by example, the Chinese proverb "If you give a man a fish you feed him for the day, if you tell him how to fish you feed him for the life."

Vijai K Sharma,
Jaipur

Mom is a very special word

I was jus waiting for an opportunity to tell the whole world about my Mom and here it comes! A BIG "THANK YOU" TO REDIFF FOR THAT :-)

Mom is a very special word not only amongst humans but also amongst animals. In spite of cultural differences, all countries agree on one aspect - The unconditional love of the mother. So , having said that, what makes my mom special?????????

Well, it all started at the age of three, i was required to be admitted into school. Unfortunately during the same year, the school authorities decided on a new rule. Only one member from a family was allowed to study in the school. Since my sister was already a student there, i was denied admission. No, that din't deter my mom. For one whole year, she went almost everyday to the school to convince the principal into admitting me. My relatives and neighbours still describe her efforts with admiration. She used to pack herself some lunch and stay the whole day in school. All this , from July 84 to February 85. The principal , stunned by my mom's perseverence just asked her one question "What makes you come here everyday, in spite of the fact that it is impossible?". To which my mom pointed towards a board in the room that read " What is impossible by man is possible by God?" Yes , that was it. I got my admission. Determination payed off !

Thanks to her constant support, i passed out from the school not only as an outstanding student in academics but also as a good athlete and a ranked tennis player.

Now that wasn't easy. I could never have balanced academics and sports without my mom's support. Here's what she has done for me:

·                     Accompanied me to most of the tournaments in extreme weather conditions

·                     Whenever i travelled alone, she used to go to my school and take down notes from my freinds

·                     Learnt driving at the age of 45 jus because she din't want me to use public transportation.

This was not all. During an extreme financial crisis, she started her own saree business and provided a strong support for the entire family!

Yes , that is my mom. She is my best freind, someone with whom i can share anything. Someone who is the reason for what i am today.

She is also the ideal wife, loving , caring and affectionate.Today, i am married and am living abroad, miles away from her. But i think about her always, her affection that leads to her determination and confidence. End of the day all i can say is - I am inspired!

Are you?

Sricharanya

Mama is the wind beneath my wings

It's not easy to punch in all that ma has taught us over the years in 300 words,

Sometimes the best helping hand you can get is that of a firm push.

She has always emphasized the importance of education. During my class 4 exams, she was undergoing a major spinal cord surgery. Far from pulling me out of school to be by her side, she re-emphasized the importance of  education to me. She told me that one can be robbed off his health, his money  but  no one can rob you of    education.

She has constantly egged me on to participate in every imaginable activity. Mama is the wind beneath my wings. Brim me with confidence and made be believe that impossible is nothing.

The best gift for any mother is actually to see her child exceeding in life, and I'm working towards that. But other than that, my mother is a workaholic, and if I could do something for her, it would be to give her five more hours in a day.

Mom has given us roots and wings; roots to ground us close to our home, hearth and heritage and wings for us to soar high into the sky. She has taught us never to fear failure and never to succumb to challenges. But apart from encouraging us, she has also been our worst critic. If it wasn't for her constructive criticism, I would never have been able to raise my standards.

In my ma I see Durga, the Mother Goddess. From being the supreme life-giver to the ten-armed warrior princess, my ma is all that and more. She can take on the world and make me proud of her. Borrowing a phrase from an advertisement , I'd like to shout out 'My mommy coolest!'

Brinda Sarkar
Kolkata

Oh Ma, how can i ever ever repay you

My mother is a poem
I'll never be able to write,
though everything I write
is a poem to my mother."
~Sharon Doubiago

 

MY MOTHER - Ah, so much to say, so much to write. I really dont know where do I start. My whole personality, whatever I am today has been
moulded by my guide, my philosopher, my friend, the lighthouse of my life - my mother - URMILA ARORA.
MY mother is a very lively, energetic and active woman yet very simple, innocent and vulnerable! She had very high ambitions in life; she wanted to
become a doctor. But being married off at quite an early age, she couldn't accomplish her dream. But she left no hurdle ever obstruct the fulfilment of
my dreams. She had studied in a Hindi medium school in Delhi. I was admitted by her in a Convent School in mumbai, AND it was she who took over
my studies right from kg level till Masters of  Law! I stood first throughout my school and college life and at Masters level I was a rankholder both
at Mumbai and Maharashtra Level - And i had never joined any classes or tuitions. I still remember how she would ask me everyday when i returned
from school what was i taught in the class. Late at night when i would be asleep, she would be awake going through those lessons making notes for
me to study the next day! She educated herself to educate me! Oh Ma, how can i ever ever repay you your debts!
Without even me being aware, she had started shaping my personality very early in life. Very early in life, she engrained in me the importance of
being on my own feet. She wanted me to be aware of the world, besides the bookish knowledge. From Std 8th onwards 30 minutes were set aside
daily for reading newspapers/listening to BBC news. She also was a strict disciplinarian and personality moulder. She taught me how to talk in a
group confidently, to walk gracefully and how to present myself. Initally i used to think she was a Hitler, I could not at that age comprehend her master
plan and scheme of things to come.
"Your arms were always open when I needed a hug.
 Your heart understood when I needed a friend.
 Your gentle eyes were stern when I needed a lesson.
Your strength and love has guided me and gave me wings to fly"
I learnt the meaning of commitment from her. I learnt to be faithful and honest to my own self and towards my work from her. She always taught me
never to settle for anything less but the BEST. As she says -" If you want the BEST, do your BEST!"
The most amazing thing is that after doing so much for me, after investing so much time, energy and the precious moments of her life for me, she never expects
anything from me in return.She never makes me feel she has done anything great for me, nor does she ever try to impose her ideas and views on
me.
My mother has faced innumerable problems in life, but she has always emerged a winner. She is fearless; always ready to takes risks if worth the
cause. I have never been frightened in my  childhood by ghost stories because they never existed in my mom's stories! She says -" Only a guilty
person is a fearful person!"
My mother is my best friend. I can laugh with her, cry with her, joke with her and fight with her(of course, she always wins).I have seen the face of
nearly every relationship in her. It is so rightly said: ' God couldn't be present at all the places to care for everyone, so he created MOTHERS!"

A mother is someone who will always have love for you, even when you set the carpet on fire.
A mother is someone who will always support you when you need it.
She will always protect you.
Guide you.
forgive you.
A mother is someone who is not human...
-but an angel.

Bella Arora

Mother, a tribute

There are the usual clichés that describe this woman who's one of a  kind ,  your mother,  gentle , caring,  bearing a quiet disposition, amenable, and  more often  responsible  for  not spreading  cheer around the household . A stereotypical role of the Indian woman turned housekeeper. Well the  biological state of being a life giver makes her the emotional anchor  bonding in love & affection . Even today despite the pulls and pressures she's still taken for granted by the family to be available and tending to each one's  needs , a common denominator.   

My mother a working woman she was in  those  days of  middle class struggle ,juggling various roles yet being there when we needed her. Those times of illnesses or when I coming home with a bruised foot   her touch was so reassuring .

As a  son , soon to cross over the 50 mark , each year has been a kind of a  celebration  to her motherhood,

for I am able to receive that  special warmth whenever I am there with  my parents and she can indulge . Over time life's taken its toll on her, she's still a source of comfort to me, as only I can find it, that beauty in my mother 

Mother of mine you're one of a kind
You taught me to run
to find a place in the sun
Looking back I pride
those years you're beside
Frail today, to me  still fine
mother of mine

Bijoy Joseph
Bangalore

I do love my mother

In the beginning of life, one sole word reigns over the world---that is "Ma".
And now I am 16, but till now my mother is my best friend & loveliest company indeed.
She is so loving that every child loves her, so beautiful that flowers can be easily
compared , and so much soothing & refreshing that even mornings do dare to compete
with her. Keeping with her constancy in love, she inspires me in every vital moment
of life. But do you know what makes her so much inspiring? – My laugh & joy.
She is a busybody amongst our family, very often in a day I see her badly perspired
and  almost running.  But very easily ice creams make her calm and cool.
She is often very much childish. She makes fun by provoking my father. The sweet
couple often quarrels over very little things like naughty children. She also loves
to listen to my father when uttering in sleep. She also likes to pour water on a sleeping
cat. Thus, she makes fun to herself and all of us.
Her happiness never needs a sophisticated lifestyle. she is very much caring
& always ready and steady to manage any problem of us. She is a good singer & dancer.
She is fond of painting and recitation. Besides her creative actions she is a culinary expert. She always inspires my creativity and spontaneity. She is an energetic woman.
What is the source of her energy? – her innocence and an inborn childish heart and
of course our love & respect. At last again to say, I do love my mother, I do love my root.

Anwesha  Mukherjee
Burdwan

AMMA!

Oh Yeah!!! She is the best mother anybody could ask for. My Mother and I began our journey on this earth on the 12th of February, 1988. We've never had the best Mother-daughter relationships--no! we've had the BESTEST mother-daughter relationship. I tend to be very secretive in many ways but there isn't a single thing she can't pry out of me. We not only share our joys but we also share our sorrows, our triumphs, our failures, our jokes, every moment spent with my Mother teaches me something new. People say that I am closer to my Father, sometimes I agree with them (these are the times when my Mother an I don't see eye-to-eye on a particular subject), but those few times when we gang up against my Father are probably the ones that make me aware of the fact that I am equally close to my Mother. My Mother does not nag me or force me to do something I don't want to do, but if that thing helps me become a better person she sure does help me overcome my hesitation and encourages me and urges me ahead. I agree that I may not be the most perfect daughter in the world, but now when I look back at those early life-moulding years of my life I realise that although we did not have the most amazing relationship in the world, I had the most amazing woman in the world as my MOTHER!!!

My Mother, Bhagyalakshmi Menon is a woman of substance, indomitable will, colossal courage, winsome charm, doggid determination, with an ability to see what is best for her children, guide us help us and pick us up when we are down, pat us on our backs when we have triumphed in class, correct us when we are wrong and nurture and protect us when we are vulnerable. She is a Spirited Lady, and I am downright proud of the fact that I am allowed to hail her as MY MOTHER!!! I just dont know how she does it, but she knows everything about me. I can proudly say that nobody knows me as well as my Mother does. She knows my mood-swings, she knows what colours suit me best, she knows what kind of food I like, she knows when I am upset about something, she knows when I am guilty or lying, she knows everything there is to know about me. She can read me like a book. But most importantly she understands me, ( I thought she never did but now when I look back I realise that she probably understood me better than I understood myself) when nobody has, she believes in me, she's honest and open with me. Today at 18 yrs of age I can still say that I don't know her as well as  I ought to know her but I sure as hell LOVE her more than I ought to. If people ask me what are my strengths and weaknesses, I'd probably say that my Father is my weakness (because I'd die before I let anything happen to hiim) and my Mother is my strength (because I draw my support and courage from her). She is my support- system.

I know Amma it doesn't get said enough but "I LOVE YOU"!!!!!!!!!! And I want to take the help of this platform and forum and tell you that you mean the world to me and that I would not be the person I am today were it not for you. I know I don't express myself very well but I just want you to know that no matter how manyever fights and arguments and disagreements we have I will always look upto you and pray and hope that I will be as good and as loving a mother as you are to my children. That will be a true testimonial to you!

Priyanka
(a proud daughter)

I am being appreciated because of my mother

I am a Sr. QA in Software and my Mom is a Professor in Psychology in SSLNT College, Vinoba Bhave University, Jharkhand.

From the childhood, she has nurtured me and held my hand to make me a successful person. She has been an inspiration, teacher, guide and above all my Best Friend.

The way she Talks, Walks, Wears beautiful Sarees have all been my inspirations. She has taught me very the sense of being a 'PIONEER" and a 'PERFECTIONIST' in everything and anything I do. She taught me to be aesthetic, academic and homely.

When in childhood, I was bashed and scolded, I did not realize the sense behind her virtues. But when I am open to the world now, it has made a lot of difference to my world. I am being APPRECIATED not only by my mother now, but also by one and all from Managers to friends and collegues.

Right from laying down bed sheets, to writing, learning tricks, being self motivated …..and, many a things she has imbibed in me. I realized the importance of my MOM being a PROFESSIONAL when she did her PhD way back in 1989 when I was in Std. IV as her topic was 'WOMEN…..' Although I was too tiny to understand what it was actually, yet that inspired me to be a women in PRIDE and to grow up to be a women and be an object of pride for my MOM and DAD.

Thanks MOM

Priyanka Prakash
Gurgaon.

She is special to me

Have thought of many things why my mother is the best, cannot use the terms cool, hip, happening etc. here as my mother is a simple housewife, one who has stood by our family though thick and thin and who respects family values more than anything in this world. Why is she the best, better, I would not make any such statements, would rather say she has been very special to me in more ways than one.
A very focused, strong willed human being , keeps all her troubles to herself, never allowed me or my sister to frown upon anything, always encouraged us to be better human beings, than go getters, felt we reserve our best when we are detached to the result. Rebuked me for getting drunk early on, spoke to my girl friend to understand where we would be heading, always spoke sense. Fed me on drunken nights, gave me the freedom to do what I wanted to do, above all was very realistic and not possessive about her children. Quiet, strong willed and dexterous, speaks 9 languages, never needed a guide when we were traveling across India, never showed it out though, gave away two of the most prized things an Indian woman likes, silk sarees and jewellery for the simple fact that my dad asked her to lead an austere life. She may be similar to most other Indian and world mothers, I respect all of them, but she is special to me.

Taught me the value of relationships early on in life, how important it was to her more than the money we had at home, she has lakshmi attached to her name, she is every bit  the name. I love her.

Natarajan Choodamani

The smartest person I know

Before I had to pick who my hero is, I thought of things that I believed a hero should have: kindness, a good personality, a good attitude, and strength. My mother has all of these qualities and much more.

The first quality I said is kindness. My mother has shown me more kindness than I could have ever asked for. My mother is born in a small village in Orissa. Even with lot of responsibilities, she always manages to keep going with a smile on her face and she is always there if you need a hand.
The second quality is to have a good personality. My mother has an amazing personality. She has a great sense of humor, she's easy to talk to, and she is always there to listen.
The next quality that I believe a hero should have is a good attitude. My mother shows good attitude even though the day is worst for her. She will never take her anger out on anyone and always has a positive outlook on things. I admire my mother for this and she has taught me that staying positive will get you far in life.
My mother is the smartest person I know. She knows how to handle situations and always says the right thing at the right time.

I love my mother very much. She is, and always will be, my hero....

Monalisa  Mohanty

My mom is great

My mother is the greatest lady on this earth. she is the biggest gift god has given me.a mother cannot be replaced by anything in this world. i have committed so many many mistakes in my life but she has always supported me. i have gone even against my parents wishes and settled my life but even then she has never left me alone. she has got hurted the most still she loves me cares for me. god really gives a big heart to a mother. my mother is an angel to me. i will be greatful to her till my last breath. "my mom is great". 

Sandhya  Rani

Let's continue to love our moms

Ma, I would not have existed without you. Your are everything for me. Life without you is simple unthinkable. You are the one soul whom nobody can substitute in this entire world. Your love and affection is so pure that  not a day passes for me without thinking about you and longing for your love become intense especially if the distance of separation is 10.000 miles. All the good life which I am enjoying right now would not have happened if not for your commitment in bringing me up with my 2 siblings. Right from my school days to my married life you were my friend, philosopher and guide and I wish you continueto enjoy that luxury. All the things you taught me, right from cooking to making a bed has helped me throughout my life. It has helped me to stand on my own legs, it has helped me receive fame and glory wherever I go. What more a person needs from his mom!!  I really thank god for giving a greatest mom on earth. Despite coming from a middle class family you made me feel rich in thoughts and actions which has taught me that money is the last object which a person should respect. I am really glad that the world has  a dedicated day to celebrate mom's day, the day which will awaken even the hardest of hearts to think about their mom. There is no really an ending to this passage as I am continuingthe rest in an unsectioned, undated part of my mind.

Lets continue to love our moms and keep her in thoughts till we live.

Sundar

Our strength, inspiration, friend, philosopher, guide

"My mother became a widow at the age of 35 years with three daughters aged 11yrs, 8yrs and 6 months. She  was  working as an Assistant.

My mother has been our strength, inspiration, friend, philosopher and guide. She never took any help from her parents nor  in-laws unlike other woman in her situation. When my grandfather offered to support her she confided to me  that if today she takes help from her parents, tomorrow we may be indebted to her family for whatever we become in future even with our credit.

Since then our struggle continued and I have seen my mother struggling to get my father's LIC or to make both ends meet. We were in the best schools and she wanted us to continue even if it meant she had to stitch her torn sari and wear. She realized that she needed to grow so she studied for ICWAI. She woke up at 3 am to study till 5 am and then started her cooking, getting us and herself ready, leave for office and come back and teach us. Today I know it is not physically possible for me to go through such grueling schedule.

Today I,  the eldest, am an Engineer with a MBA from IIM, Calcutta, my second sister is a Commerce Graduate and has a book on Philately to her credit (she had to sacrifice her studies because my mother met with a serious accident in 1987 when she had to undergo brain operation) . My youngest sister is an Ophthalmologist.

The values system inculcated within us is all because of my mother. But today she is afflicted by Alzheimer's at a fairly young age of 60 years. Today she suffers from a feeling of dependency and inferiority because she cannot remember what she does. "

I could probably go on and on about our mother but we are restricted with 300 words. She is an epitome of what woman can achieve if she is educated.

Nita Karmakar
Kolkata

M - O - T - H - E - R

"M" is for the million things she gave me,
"O" means only that she's growing old,
"T" is for the tears she shed to save me,
"H" is for her heart of purest gold;
"E" is for her eyes, with love-light shining,
"R" means right, and right she'll always be,

Put them all together, they spell
"MOTHER,"
A word that means the world to me.
From the first hug, the first lullaby, begins her gift
of love. As a teacher, guide and friend she is truly a
WOW woman

My mother is the most precious person for me and it is
my dream to fulfill her dreams. Me and my mom have
been friends since my birth.Alluring as the heaven.
Enchanting as a twinkling star. Mysterious as an
Eternal sparkle.

She was often caught between the demands of the infirm
and rigid elders on one hand and the bold and
temperamental me. She was sandwiched between our
demands. But she has always handled the situation
beautifully without complaining.
She sacrificed her career for my sake. According to
her, Motherhood is the most satisfying job in the
world.
For her I was a amazing child, she liked the way I
used to stare into her eyes and my exuberant smile.
She has a treasure trove of memories to last a
lifetime. For her I will always remain a toddler
whether I am 40 yrs or 60 yrs old.There will be no
change in her love. I Love U Maa. Thanx for making me
a better person.

Hema Seth
New Delhi

She is a cutie

Its so hard to say something about mothers which has nor already been said before. But like most good things, what moms mean to their children is indescribable in words.

All of us have our own stories about sacrifices they have made for us. How they are our friend, philosopher and guide.

But my ma is really cool because she agreed to do para-sailing even though she was wearing a 'salwar kameez'.

She is fun because she went to see Titanic (an 'English' movie) with me on my insistence and while I wept, she promptly fell asleep but AT LEAST she came.

She is inspiring because she has the guts to opt to become the treasurer of her Lion's club even though before that she has never even deposited a cheque in her life!

She is a role model because she sponsored my dhobi's son education for years so that now he has a respectable job with the Taj Hotel.

She is a rock star because she decided to singing lessons at the age of 45 even though she has never sung (not even in the bathroom) before!

She is a cutie because even after all these years she feels shy if my father gives her a compliment.

She is loving because she even talks to her plants.

She is my HERO not just for all that she has done for my kid sister and me as a mother but also for being the incredible person she is, for her zest for life, for her optimism. She spreads goodwill and cheer all around her.

I often wonder if I would be able to be even half as good a mother to my children. Is there a 'How to be a mom' manual somewhere? To the bestest Mother in the whole wide world, Happy Mother's day! I love you.J

Surabhi Goel Agarwal

Thanks for being there

" Born in a family of five daughters ,the urge to go to work and look after parents even after marriage was imbibed in my mom Poongodi's mind at an early age. Her name means  ' the flowering creeper' in Tamil and she is so apt for the name that every thought in her that blooms, creeps around her kids wellbeing. There was never a time when my mother ceased to encourage us.. At the right hour, at the right time.. Her words would be there. My siblings also agree to this, she has been the best friend to us despite so many others in our same age group being close.. She is more than a comrade, she has been a soulmate for me! My mom got married around 14 years thus couldn't complete her schooling. She was a star student in school excelling in studies, sports and extra curriculum. Dad was so supportive that, even after my younger sister (3rd kid) was born, mom finished her schooling and scored a massive 85% in her higher secondary! One of her best moments have been the day I completed my MCA and landed up in a good job! Also I can see the achievement in her eyes every time her kids get married and also when they receive a grand child. My son is her first grandson and she is sure celebrating his birth though my son is almost a year old now! Even today, whenever I send her a share of my monthly salary, I love the pride in her face and mind when she spends every rupee of it. Mom's contribution to my life is worth much more than what I can do in a lifetime to her. Mom I love you,thanks for being there!!!!!!!!!!"

Anitha Malaiyarasan 

The Single Parent

Her world,
Her life,
A toil,
A strife.
Her worship,
Her love,
His lust,
His love.
Her hopes,
Her dreams,
Her wails,
Her screams.
Their taunts,
Their sneers,
Her sobs,
Her tears.
Her joy,
Her mirth,
Her glee,
MY BIRTH.

Tariq Siddiqi 

An Ode to a Mum - A Brief History of Her Life and Times

Unknown by cartographers, unmapped even in the most detailed maps, 70 miles
from the nearest large city, Cuttack, lies a village going by the unassuming
name of Gopapur.  Deriving its name from the location where Lord Krishna
frolicked, it is surrounded by lush mountains and woods where the deer and
bears roam. Populated by less than 100 people, this village was to produce a
couple of such outstanding achievements and accomplishments that it still
has not been bettered two score and ten years after the fact!  Seventy five
years ago, in the dusty, unknown village, deep in the backwoods of Orissa
was born a son to Fagunath and Budhimati Sahoo.  Having lost two previous
sons in their infancy, the couple did what they could to propitiate the Gods
from losing a third son before the umbilical cord had barely healed - they
immediately sold him to another, lower caste couple.  Sold to an
"untouchable" tribe, they felt that the Gods that had taken the lives of his
previous two siblings would spare him.  Perhaps it was a Darwinian
evolutionary act, or perhaps it was some higher divine benediction;
nevertheless, the child survived.  After an appropriate length of time being
"brought up" by a different set of parents, he was bought back by his
biological parents.  Thus, in this token exchange of goods for legal tender,
he was nicknamed "Kina" (loosely translated as "bought").  Properly named
Balaram, he grew up with two older and a younger sister.  Being the only
son, he was doted upon by his parents.  Half a block away, literally the
girl next door, was the only daughter of Brajabandhu and Kanchan Sahoo.
Five years younger than Balaram, Nishamani was the much adored village
belle.  Nisha, as she was popularly known, traced her blood lines back to a
wealthy and prosperous family that had made its fortune in artful business
dealings with the rich and powerful kings that dotted the landscape in the
early 20th century.  Doted upon by her parents and her only older brother,
Nisha combined her mother's beauty, and her father's intelligence that set
her apart from her playmates.  Thus, within the narrow confines of row homes
and a single street, grew up the intelligent Kina and the beautiful Nisa.
Growing up in their own parallel worlds, their lives would intertwine
fortuitously in the future.

Early in life, Kina showed promise of academic brilliance, and his wise
father, having very little education himself, had the foresight to encourage
him in his studies.  Momentous events were happening as this frail young
child was growing - the momentum towards Indian independence, the dying
embers of WW II, and the horrors of the atom bomb in Japan.  Balaram Sahoo
went on to become one of the pioneers in the study of what were then known
as the rare earth's (e.g., Uranium etc) and as a Ravenshaw postgraduate had
achieved the unique distinction of having scores of scientific papers, the
seminal of which had made it into the pages of "Nature".

At one of the premier centres of learning in engineering and science (IIT
Kharagpur), Balaram completed his doctoral work and was appointed as a
lecturer there.  In the meantime, in the midst of these challenging academic
trials, he was married to his childhood sweetheart.  They had four children,
all of whom excelled academically in their own right.  Through the sixties
and into the late eighties, graduate students flocked to pay their due
respects to Prof. Sahoo and experience the culinary skills of Mrs. Sahoo.

Now, Mrs. and Dr. Sahoo, in their golden years have spent the better part of
the nineties doing for others and their own community what they had done for
their children and nephews and nieces - educating, teaching and serving, and
most of all, leading by example.

Forty years after he had left the tiny village of Gopapur, he returned to
his birthplace.  Having attained success in his chosen profession, he had
gone back to give something back to the very place that nurtured him.
Little had changed in the intervening period.  The same row of houses with
the same inhabitants (albeit older and greyer) and the same lack of modern
amenities.  In a manner, he was back to the state of affairs as he
remembered leaving behind.  Undeterred, he and his wife set out to improve
their cottage and the local temple.

They say, behind every great man, there stands a great woman. This brief
profile would not be complete without conferring upon Nishamani her due
accolades.  Quietly, and with great humility, she has stood behind her
husband and given him the support and strength that men are wont to desire.
Adored by her children and her many nephews and nieces, she was the symbol
of Hindu motherhood.  She was the magnet to which her family clung, for the
love she gave without question.  For Balaram Sahoo to have become what he
us, much credit goes to his dutiful wife, Nisha.  Together they are forging
ahead - opening up vistas hitherto unknown and unforeseen to a multitude of
the forgotten majority in India's villages.  This will be their legacy to
history.

Minoti Sahoo/Trilochan Sahoo/Purush Sahoo and Prasanta Sahoo

Dr Prasanta K Sahoo
Launceston, Tasmania

Love u lots mom

U asks any Person in this world and he/ she would say my MOM is the best MOM in this world…….. Such is this relationship….. This is one relationship you acquire not my choice but chance still its never burdening .I consider it to be the most pious relationship in this world.. why I consider my MOM to be great is because right from my childhood I have seen her in many forms working efficiently and diligently without any complains…. She is a good teacher, good manager, good electrician (whenever something is broken she so efficiently fix them) ….. And yea I have seen her doing sacrifices for her home and children …..Sacrificing her dreams, hopes and aspirations and investing all of them in her children…doesn't it all sound familiar for all of us? Guess this is the power of skin of motherhood……A day is very less to thank the person who has given us not just the life but also shape and meaning of it. I may go any ahead in my life but I would never forget that whatever I have or would attain is the result of silent prayers of my mother……… and for the last I would just like to say whenever I have my own children I would like to give them the same upbringing  which my mother has given us………..

 Loves u lots mom………

Esha Jain

Super human

Even a master's vocabulary and literary skills seem to get limited when it comes to praising his inspiration, and it happens with me too.

My ma (Alice Lobo) has always been this super human. At the age of sixteen, she began working to feed a family of eight. She was this young girl of 13 who carried her brother 5 kilometers to get a glass of milk for him, who topped in nursing, helped her family prosper, moved to Gulf one day and promised herself that her children would never see the days she did. And true to her word I never realized the hardships she sought to give me the best of food, clothes and education.

My mom has never been super cool. She is adorably pretty, who spoke her imperfect English with sheer mastery. She has no knowledge of cell phones but yet has recently gifted me a 6680. She has always worn plain and simple salwar kameez with a pair of sad chappals. She isn't too witty and her conversation has always been limited to "Hello! How are you?"
Yet, she's my mom. And I'm so proud of her

I don't know if it is the comfort found in her womb, or the pains while bringing me in the world; her wheeling me through all troubles, or her staying up to see me sleep in peace; or her tearing a part of her body to bring me out, or her tearing her heart and mind to see me grow?
I don't know what it is, but I owe my existence to her.

I don't know if I'll ever be a great daughter (though she says I'm one), but I do know, my mom is truly the reflection of my God on this earth.

Love you ma.

Amrita Lobo

MA!!!!

In Shahrukhs's words as he said in KKHH:

"Ma sab kuch hain." (Mother is everything – the most important person in someone's life)

This is very true. I would like to let you, I never thought this way until I got married. Before, even though we are watching the same program, I was in another room and my Mummy in another room, all by herself. Even though she had all of us around, yet she was alone. Because Bunty, Anand and I preferred not to sit with her, else she will start her lectures or have something to say about what we did. But the day I got married, somehow I felt that the only person I can run to when I do something wrong would be Mummy, and she had no problems accepting me as her best friend.

After that realization, my relationship with my Mummy rocks J. We can sit all night long and talk non-stop. Last time when Mummy visited me here in California, USA, we got a chance to go to Las Vegas all by ourselves….and of course I made sure Mummy enjoyed, and we had the best time. I still remember our drive to Hoover Dam, we couldn't stop talking. We both decided lets get earlier flight back home, but we waited at the airport for about 6 hours. Trust me, that was fantastic too. We talked and shared so many secrets.

Now when I have any trouble, the first one I go to is Mummy. And sometimes when I am alone….lost in thoughts, I think how Mummy raised us. As kids we never felt the pain of not having anything, because probably somehow, looking at her and learning from her, we kids knew we should be satisfied with what we have. I do not ever remember her complaining about anything. She always preaches and definitely follows too:

" Joh Hua accha hua….kuch kho gaya toh socho panuti gayi…kuch milna hoga toh apne aap aayega…don't run for it" (whatever happens always happens for good, if you lost something, think that it happened for best too, if you should get or deserve something, you will get it anyhow, do not run and waste your time for that)

This kind of thinking, has always made feel, I am satisfied with I got….although I get side-tracked sometimes, but her few words makes me come back to track again.

I am a Mom to a 4.5 year old boy, and one is on his way. When I see the things I do for my son, I feel I wish I could be as close as what Mummy did for us as kids….Mummy I miss you the most.

For All MOMS:

You all are the best!!!!

Love you the most Mummy xxx

Rakshita Sharma
Fremont, California

Army Ma

She made me perfect man,stiil iam her one year   baby,She take care about me more than myself,she is my primary motivator for every improvement in my life,more than any one.I called her army ma becasuse she grows me in milatary system in poluted environment,other wise what my position ,i cant imagine

Suresh babu

Goddess on earth

My mother is the greatest mom on earth. It is because of her that I was able
to develop into a wonderful human being since it was she who taught me human
values such as compassion for fellow beings, value of truthfulness, love,
empathy& kindness. She was the one who taught me the basics of formal
education which helped me to gain admission in one of the best schools. She
taught me  music which unfortunately I could not pursue. She has never
uttered even a word about her problems & sufferings lest I become worried &
unable to concentrate in my studies.She also encourages & pulls me up when I
am depressed. She prays to the almighty to grant me the very best of
everything in the world & never asks anything for herself. I see her as a
'Goddess on earth' . I am truly fortunate in having such a wonderful mother
& I am grateful to God for giving me such a mother. May God grant her a long
& a happy life.

Nandini Acharya
New Delhi

Happy Mothers Day.

Fingers get Freeze,
Spirit getz Trapped.
I don't Know,
What to Write.
Ocean which luved me,
Which blessed me,
Nurtured and Cared me.
Itz Warm Current,
Still Ensures that,
I don't Feel,
Left out alone,
in this world.
I don't Know,
What to Describe her,
As an Angel or-
God or just My
Truly Near and Dear
Lovely Mother.

Viraj Padhariya

Proud to be your daughter

From "being there" to "leaving me alone" – my mom has done all that and most importantly has taught me to understand the importance of more but patience and persistence. As an army officer, my father was constantly away on posting  and it was my mother's conscious decision to stick with her job in    Delhi to make a firm base in academics for us 3 sisters.

Ever reliable, bold and headstrong- she encouraged me not to run away but face the badmaash boys in the locality head on when challenged during the Holi festivities. She taught me resilience and positive attitude in the face of obstacles when I despaired over favoritism in school, polished my language skills by insisting I reply in English when she asked me about my day in her desi accented English and by instilling in me the value of both academic degrees as well homely cooking abilities.

She made sure I  gave my 100% before exams "when the ball was in my court" and didn't cry over my  performance after the exams were done. "Move on" was her constant refrain, from  thinking of lost offers and positions to newer horizons and awaiting opportunities. As my best friend and guide she shared my adolescent secrets from first class bunked to first puff on a cigarette. I went through those phases of scaring her (went on a outstation trip unannounced), challenging her(with classes bunked ) but eventually accepting her as my well wisher. After instilling those samskars and values, she set me free into this world- to make my own choices and face the results. She felt proud to meet my choice of life partner, proud of my career path and even prouder when she became a grandmother. Today I just want to say to her – Ma, everyday I feel proud  and lucky (thank God)to have been born your daughter !

when the going gets tough, the tough get going !!!

Jyoti Joshi Jain

I want to thank my mom

What makes mothers special? A mother does everything it
takes to give her child every conceivable joy.
However, very few dedicate their entire lives to the welfare of others around them - my mother is one such person.

Her arrival as the last kid in a family of nine did
not particularly excite anybody. Pampering, if at all
any, was showered on her nieces (unfortunately of the
same age) who grew up with her.  From little things
like doing her niece's homework to serious things
like being at her sister's bedside during a surgery,
or taking care of her aged in-laws and brother, she
was always the "chosen one" to carry the burden.

Her marriage into a big family with little kids for
brothers-in-law thrust upon her the mantle of the "responsible
daughter-in-law". And at an age where the rest of us
 merely contemplate stepping into the throes of matrimony, my
mum shouldered the responsibility of marrying off
her sister-in-law.

She has donned many roles-- that of a son, daughter,
daughter-in-law, sister, father, mother – and played
all these to perfection.  In times of crisis she is the
solid rock we can lean on. During tragic moments, she always
gathered herself so that we do not break.  I remember my
father saying 'she is a tough-minded optimist'.

On mothers' day, I want to thank my mum who has been
my friend, counsellor and more than everything - a role model.

Today I have a baby girl who resembles my mother – I'd consider myself successful even If I'm able to be half the guiding force my mother has been to me

Tarangini Raman

Hub of the wheel

She is someone who single-handedly brushes aside all
my fears, helps me be better than I am, has more faith
in my capabiliites than myself. Her cooking may not
have won a national award yet, but to me, no ambrosia
tastes sweeter. Her affection and attention to detail
are obvious to anyone who knows her even a little-they
are visible in the way she tends the garden, the way
she keeps the house and in the way she looks after
everything under her care. Most of all, her love is
what comes to mind when the word "unconditional" was
first defined.

She may be the world's best doctor, cook, gardener
rolled into one-but most of all, she is the hub of the
wheel around which my life revolves.

And after all this-no, she's not a housewife by
chance, like many others.....she is one of the few who
is a stay-at-home mom by choice. A specialist in child
psychiatry, she gave up a stellar career because she
first wanted to be the most-loved mom rather than the
best-know child specialist.....and THAT is what makes
her a goddess in my eyes. Many are the women who are
moms, many are those of them who balance successful
careers....but in my opinion, it takes more guts,
sacrifice and an unbelievable intensity of love that
could give up a promising career for a life at home.
When I look back at how much she has done for us, how
much she has given for us, how she holds us all
together and how, together with my dad, she has made
sure that the bird of life for each of the children
has the two strongest wings ever in the forms of their
parents, so the bird can always soar high.

Janani Venkateswaran

The strongest person I know

Mother's are a vision of God on this earth in human form.

My mother can be decribed in the following words
M - ature
O - ptimistic
T - Tender
H - ardworking
E - Emotional
R - ealistic
and the list can go on and on....

When God created Mother's , He took very special care, to make them sweet and fair. He must have smiled when he made her because he knew it was his best creation.

My Mom is the strongest person that I know of today.
She can work for long hours without complaining,be there to rejoice on our success and also always be there to wipe our tears and help us become more strong to face this world of challenges.My mom epitomises patience and selfless love.She will forgive us but at the same time ensure that we never repeat the same mistake again. She has not spared the rod when required.

I can always confide my problems to her and she will always be ready with a solution. She always believed that there is nothing impossible in this world as long as you have the faith. She has inculcated this value in us right from childhood and I believe that this will always stand by us in all trials and tribulations.

A day dedicated to her would not suffice,however Mother's day is definitely a good start to expressing your respect and love to your Mom. Do it now, Do it today before you regret not letting her know how much you love her. It would mean the world to her.

My Mom is my super hero and I thank God for showering His blessings to me in the form of my Mother!!

Laxmi Nair

Mom! Oh Mom! I love you.

I don't know where to start. My life, the precious human life which has started from her womb, I owe each part of this to her. I would like to thank her for everything she has done for me by writing these few lines; I know these lines are not enough.

My mother's name is "Asha" that means hope. As her name means, she is exactly like that always she gives me hope to do something good in life.

We are total six siblings. One of us would demand for tea, one of us for coffee and other one for juice but she would ready for all these with no pain. Now a days you can see a single child mother she will be so tired because of her child but my mom she would be continuously working for us since the sun rises till the moon shines. In the night also she would be ready. I would like to call her "Super Woman" because she never leaves a single wish of us unsatisfied if the wish is realistic. She loves us lot at the same time if something goes wrong from our side she is ready to scold us like anything. She has not roamed like us but her words are words of wisdom.

She is simple lady from a small town at the same time very lovable and kind. Sometime she gets angry especially when she keeps calling me and I won't get up in the morning.

Now I am married, away from my mom still I remember her wake up calls in the morningJ. She has a great belief in GOD. I love to see her love towards HIM and off course for my father!

She has scarified all her life for all of us. She has kept all her wants with her so that she could fulfill our demands. Whatever we sisters and brother are today, she has played very important part in our success.

Thanks a lot Mom for being so nice and lovely. I wish everyone should get a mother like you.

Swapna  Hanwante

My MOM

How can anybody describe about Mother. 
For me my  MOTHER is a living GOD, the greatest gift of my life. 
She never ask anything in return of her selfless love which pouring on me in my life ;
She want  her children should be in a comfortable position always .
She is ready to take all my pains, always there in my sick bed whether it is night or day ,
She is the only one who knows what is going on inside me
She is the only one who forgives and forgets  my mistakes and bad things.
 She hears me patiently no matter whether I am at 30s as I am  always a kid for her.  
 I may be often busy for her but she never busy for me .
Sometimes I feel that we children are cruel to HER. 
Thank you MOM
Thank you GOD for giving me such wonderful MOTHER

Allen Wilson, Faridabad

My first teacher

My Maa is great and she is my hero all the times

She is good example for all the mothers for how to raise the kids even in
very poor conditions. Our family is well planed by her considering our
nation need. She gave us education even in great financial crises. She is
the backbone of our family. My father is deaf and illiterate. He well
supported my mother. From them I learned how to lead a team. Due to my
mothers education, intellectual and employment we are well groomed and
settled in our life. My mother is my first teacher and she still teaching me
how to live and lead the life. That's why every girl in our country should
compulsorily educate. If a girl gets educated that means one family gets a
life.

K Satheeshkumar

Like a creeper standing with the support of god

In my Class 1, my family moved to Bangalore. My family includes me, amma (mom), nannagaru (dad), peddanna (eldest brother) & chinnanna (elder brother). None of us knew Kannada as our mother tongue is Telugu & first time we had stepped into Karnataka. But amma had known it! She had learnt it from our ex-neighbor who was a kannadiga. How could she predict the need of Kannada? Was that her sixth sense?

Amma is multilingual. She can speak Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Hindi and English!

Thanks to amma we made good friends and got set in the new environment quickly!

After 3 years my amma had a challenge to face. My Nannagaru (Father) got transferred to Delhi. He didn't know when he will be sent back. This was the time when they made a tough decision of staying apart for our studies as peddanna was nearing Class 10th. Amma had to take responsibility of her three children with no relatives around. She dared to take the challenge!

Nannagaru left to Delhi leaving us. Now the reins were in Amma's hand. She had to show us the right path of life. She was all alone with three children needing her help. She was like a creeper standing with the support of god. She devoted her time in shaping us and our careers. She suppressed all her desires and made sure we were doing well both socially and academically.

Years passed by, Amma is now a proud mother of three Engineers! She won the challenge! She is confident that she can deal with any obstacle in life. Had she not taken that heroic step, our life would have been ruined!

Archana B V N L

Princess of Umbrellapet

 To the princess of Umbrellapet in Machilipatnam,
         Here is my faithful pranamam!
      Married at fourteen, having mothered eight
         Your life is an example of true fight.

      Forced out of SSLC by marriage in forty-seven,
         You conquered it after seven kids in sixty-seven.
      Is it your fighting spirit, or your will power?
         I shall leave it to decided by my reader.

      The fire accident burnt your body sixty percent
         Nay, it never touched your soul or spirit!
      You sold your jewellery to get us education
         Do I need to say more about your dedication?

      You sang like a bird from dawn to dusk
         What more can your kids really ask?
      Prayed for your family,  played like a kid
         Thou art the candle gave light and burnt to end!

      The stroke you had in two-thousand-and-one
        And the ALS disease you are suffering from
      Only proved you are mortal after all
        Although in severe pain, you said "The show must go on"
      And I shall do my best dear mother
        You are my hero once and for all.

PS: Umbrellapet: A place called 'Godugu Peta' in Machilipatnam town, in AP, India.
(Godugu translates to Umbrella in English)
My mom had to stop her studies in 1947, and she took the school final
examination (SSLC) in 1967 with my eldest brother to finish with
distinction.
pranamam: A sanskrit word of salutation to the parents/elders.

Then she was hospitalized in 1968 for 9 months (after a 65% burn fire
accident) and recovered, and my yougest brother was born in 1973.
Had she not sold her jewellery, to pay for for tutions,
we would not have completed studies. She made sure all her kids are graduated
and married graduates too!
In 2001, she had a stroke, and was diagnosed with ALS/MND, now in her last days.
She will not live one more year, so, this is my last Mother's day gift to her

Srini Kothapally
California

Your arms are always open

My mother's love is the fuel that enables  me to do the impossible

There is no velvet so soft as my mother's lap, no rose as lovely as her smile, no path so flowery as that imprinted with her footsteps Your arms were always open when I needed a hug. Your heart understood when I needed a friend. Your gentle eyes were stern when I needed a lesson. Your strength and love has guided me and gave me wings to fly
There will be many opportunities to share our memories and the act of sharing these is special in itself

Urmila
New Delhi

MAMMA

A beautiful saying in Marathi goes like this „Swami tinhi jagacha ,aai vina bhikari".  .means "Master of all worlds, without mother,is a beggar"! . This small saying encapsulates the essence of a motherhood in all its ways. What makes my mom so special for me is her exclusive simplicity and enduring patience.Mrs Nutan Deshmukh, my mom,born in a v well to do and secure family did her BA and got married quite young.But life was not to be a bed of roses after that.There she saw lots of ups and downs but always stood behind all of us like a rock and bore all the hardships with a brilliant smile which she never gave up! My mom never indulged in any gossips but rather spent her time reading inspirational articles to me and my brother, which always inspired us to give the best in us.I remember a small incident here.My brother had passed with relatively less grades in his 12th class so instead of opting for Degree Engineering with donation he preferred doing diploma first .But later we realized that the seats to the diploma were quite limited and people were willing to pay lakhs to get a seat.  My brother got extremely depressed as we knew it was beyond our reach.My mom immediately went to meet the principal the v next day to inquire about any possibility of getting admission. The principal was too busy to look at her but she relentlessly sat for the entire day till the office closing time. Finally he came ou  and asked my mom the reason for waiting so long and my mom explained the situation.He said, looking at your determination I feel somewhere obliged to offer a seat to your son..and my brother got 2nd position in the entire college in his final exams and went ahead to pursue his degree course with flying colours! I have completed my MS and am working for the one of the biggest firms in Germany and my brother is about to finish his MS..we owe all to our mom! .She always tells us to be extremely thankful to the Almighty and to give back some part of our earnings to the society.. we will surely do it Mamma ..Hats off to you!

Aaishwarya Deshmukh

My dearest friend

Abraham Lincoln, once famously said, "What I am, or ever hope to become, I owe it to my angel Mom". I can't agree with him more. Saying things like Ma cares, loves, caresses, protects, teaches, shelters, nurtures, cultures, tutors me – can't really explain the actual worth of the brightest jewel in my life. Can it?

Our scriptures tell us that behind every living creature is the Mother, whose love is eternal, unconditional, pure and unquestioning. Really, I can feel this! My Mother is that torch which guides me when I am engulfed in darkness. In my childhood nobody taught me "Matri-devo Bhava" – it came naturally. I wonder why. May be, the reason lies in our Vedic teaching that, as far as natural order of reverence is concerned, Mother gets a thumping victory, leaving Father, Guru and God, in that order, far behind.

Emotional reasons set aside, She also happens to be my dearest friend. But there is one thing about her that I still can't understand – how does She know when I'm trying to make things up, or that I mean something else? My Mom, as usual, is ready with the answer - "You can fool some of the people all the time, and all the people some of the time, but you can't fool Mom!" This is the crux of the story. She has this uncanny ability to read what is not on my lips. I wish no one else could though!

Enough can never be said about Her and condensing the importance of my Mother in my life in 300 words is impossible, considering Her influence in my life. Still all I can say is, "If I were ever to be born again, I wish and hope and pray that I'm born to my Mom again".

Utsav Mitra,
Begumpet, Hyderabad

She wants to do more and more

My mother is working. She is running a beauty parlor for the last 15 years and still going strong. She hails from a conservative family where women were better known to look after families and homes rather work outside. Though her father, my grandfather, educated her upto
graduation, he didn't encourage my mother to take up a job. She always wanted to stand on her own feet. She never wanted to be dependant on others. She always felt, money had a power that can never be compared to any other power. Money was supreme power for her. It is only when you are financially down, people look down on you. It may be due to this reason that she inisted that I work, so that I don't grow dependant on others.

My mother is emotionally a very strong person. I have never seen her cry except once, when her mother died. Else, be it we children falling sick or be it anything else that could make one cry, she never did cry.

My mother always has her hands full of work. Be it her parlor or home or her garden, she  always her hands full. There were times when she wanted to rest, but, she never did. Maybe,she had to fulfill her duties as a wife, mother or businesswoman first before taking rest.
She never had time for television or movies.She never bothered about them.Her contact with the outside world is thru' her customers whom she interacts everyday with. Her hobbies, I have seen is her reading of magazines, whenever she gets time.She is a lady who hates social
gatherings as such. Maybe, she din't have time for them. She always looked forward to lie down and take a nap whenever an oppurtunity was given to her.

Whenever guests came home, she always made sure that they were served their best always. She preapres their favourite dishes, if she comes to know of them. One such example, I can remember is when my cousin had come home once. My mother prepared onion curry. My cousin
happened to like it. Then on, when ever this cousin of mine came home, she made this dish.

When we children grew sick, she always tried out her home remedies first.And most of the times,they always worked. Since she goes to work, she reminds us a million times to take the decotion that she prepared. We were never encouraged to take allopathic medicines unless it was really required to take them.
 
She never mumbled even when her work load was more. Plants were always something liked. Our house was always wore a green look. Thats because of the tireless days she spent looking after garden. Her parlor is also the example of her perseverance. She wants to do more and more. She only wants health to keep her activities go on.

My mother is a superwoman. She indeed is, one.

Thanks
Soumya Alias

Posthumous award…

Have you ever been to a awards ceremony where people are awarded posthumously.
Mine is a situation like that ,

Never in her lifetime did I realise how in debt to her I was.
Never did I say Thank you when she gave me the bowl of sweet corn soup while I prepared for my exams,
Never did I say a word of praise when my friends told me she was the best.
Never did I know that a warm hot meal as soon as you were back from the evening tuition was a luxury.
Never did I learn that , she was giving me my first lessons of management when she scolded me on not sharing my chocolates.

Never did I let her do gardening because I wanted to play cricket
Never did I respect her , infact I scolded her , and was the biggest snob , when she joined the spoken English classes , and did not even realise she was the  one who'd taught me my first syllables

Never Never Never ... the list goes on.

And then one day when disease came closer to her than I was , and her faculties failed her one by one. I learnt my lessons,

Lessons where I learnt that towels are not always clean, Toothpaste is to be bought the day before it finishes.
That your room will stink if you don't clean it.  That wheat grinding mill is quite far away from the house, and that chapatti cannot be made half as good by  the expensive cook whom dad has employed as a replacement. Simple reason being he does it for money , she did for me.

When, she went away forever, I screeched in the dark , I shouted to the gods , there was the dark night sky and tears.
I had missed my chance to say Thank You. I had missed my chance to show how much I owed to her.

Today in life while I am a little closer to where she might have wanted me to be, There is only one reason why I am here , 'Her absence' , gave me the  strength. The strength to look at trouble in the eye , cause what happened to her was worse and the trouble that I am looking at is so small.

In a way I think she suffered just to make me serious in life , so that I moved away from the Cricket matches and concentrated on something that is more  useful.

She was the greatest cause she gave away everything she had , her time and her health and may be her life to a spoilt boy just because he was her son.

How much more selfless, is any other individual in my life. To me the answer is no one comes even close,

For those who are reading this , and still have a chance. Say "Thank You" louder than you ever have.
For you'd have to bear the pain of going to the posthumous ceremony that I go to.

Jayesh
Lausanne, Switzerland.

Can count on her

My mom is definitely an inspiring woman to me!
She never gave up on me, always did the devil's advocate.
Gave her shoulder to cry upon, shrugged them when she thought I am exploiting them.
Bought me whatever I asked for made me regret why I asked for it when I loose them.
Pushed me when I was shy, became a speed breaker when my bloated ego was zooming.
Dropped me down like a hot potato to face reality but still came to my rescue when I was unable to handle it.
I know that she is always there me and I can blindly count on her.

THANK YOU AMMA!!!

Anusha

The greatest person on earth

hi my ma is very special to me and my big brother clive .

she is special to us cause she worked hard  ever since our dad died in a car accident.did everything to make life easy and happy for us.

everyday she wud get us ready to go to school and then run to work and come home  7pm.and in the start  she had lots of prob since doesnt travel by train alot she fell 3 times got hurt but still strong as ever.which makes us proud of her the most.she wud buy us even the smallest thing to keep us happy work day and night to get enought .i am so proud of her.even when dad died she remained strong for us .she had alot of courage.words are not enough to describe her .i dont think any movie  is greater than her .to us she is  the greatest person on this earth

i never knew someone can be that strong even in worst times of life .she kept us going and smiled all the time through it all .she managed work and us alone with no help frm family which is really cool.i remember even till today the fisrt train travel; on the way to work se fell down and hurt her legs but still she went all the way to work and did her work the whole day.she came home and then put medicine on it.she was hurt but still how she did the whole day without  feeling anything even i dont know.i hope one day i too will be just like her strong person.she thought me and my bro all the good values of life and told us prayers is the  most important thing we  shd pray everyday .God is the one who gave us life and looks after us.and she told us always smile even in hard days .dont let people see u down .always smile.

the most important lesson is that take life one day at a time live like today is the last day she says.she says look i always smile through it all.live life to the full she says.

the day dad died she saw him in shadow watching us frm the door when she got a call asking for him she said he is at home.but when it happened again the person said come to the hospital it was early hrs of morning.

i still dont get how she went there and reamined strong.when she told me i refused to belive.she is my best friend and my big bro too.we can talk to her abt everything and anything .

my mom  is the best  best friend ever

i love u mom thanks for teaching me and clive all abt life and always making us smile,u worked so hard just for us which we are so proud of u.we r sorry for times we hurt u

i hope one day i am as strong as you are and live my life just like u.and live my life just as u taught us

this is all about my mom

i am not  writing this for any prize money or anything i am writing this for everyone to know all about my mom and how brave and strong she is

from

clive and janice

j c dmello

In debt

Mommy Mommy in love I say,
worshiping you each passing day .

Trying very hard to be like you ,
as each day of my life spins thru .

Every passing minute I realize ,
sacrifises you made thru life .

To ensure that we get the best ,
You really never did rest .

And for the time n love that you share,
I will remember and will always care .

All I can say , when I think of you ,
I will always be in debt to you .

Ma your touch is like the rain ,
It nourishes the child within me ,makes me grow towards fame .

Ma your breath on my face ,is like the smell of wet sand.
Even so far away, yet the fragrance is close at hand

Ma I can still touch and feel you in my dreams at night
Though miles apart yet you don't let me out of sight .

Ma Ma and Ma in pain I pray
knowing that you're holding me close all the way

Ma, I cannot say how much I love you , no words can ever spell 
but thoughts of you birghtens my wet eyes, flowing tears would tell .

Sheetal Sharma
Matawan , NJ

The bestest

Everyone's' mom is the best, u bet but mine is THE BESTEST!!! When one stays at home, you tend to take her for granted and once outside this protective shell, u MISS her like hell! Always there by your side, having her full faith in u, she is constantly assuring you "don't worry beta sab thik ho jayega!". Her possessiveness and over protectiveness were found irksome by me and I used to shout back "why do u worry so much?" and the reply always used to b "u will get to know when u become a mom." She makes me feel like the MOST important person alive on this planet earth. Her voice makes me feel secured, elated and content. Her love, care, values, principles, teachings are deeply imbibed in me since the time I was in her womb. I am proud of her coz she is MY mom and I am sure so is she coz I am HER daughter!
Hey mom, "everything I do, I do it for U"! LOVE U LOADS MOM!
HAPPY MOTHERS DAY 2DAY AND ALWAYS…………………

Apeksha Ahluwalia

You are our entire world

Even as I write this, I am overwhelmed writing about my mother. A woman of substance that is what "my amma" is. Married at 18 to a man who never cared for her and deserted her after 18 years of married life, my mother single-handedly brought her three children; me, my elder brother and eldest sister.

Her academic qualification might be nil, but she is highly educated. She understood the importance of education more than anyone else and therefore, moved from a small district to a bigger city to give us proper education. Coming from a conservative background (where people opined that a woman should wait for her husband till he comes back) and was not allowed to step out, she fought against all odds to give us quality life.

She did not have any financial support either. So, sold a piece of land (inherited by her mother) and deposited the amount in post office to get regular income. We managed our living in a paltry sum of Rs 1,600 every month and never felt we are missing anything, thanks to her management skills.
We were served simple food (breakfast of two chapattis and a cup of chai, plain dal and chawal for lunch and dinner) but got the best of books.
A strong woman and a loving mother that amma is, she motivated us to do better in life, respect people and believe in god.

We three feel, we had the best of education and of course the best childhood ever. You have been and will always be our entire world.

Today, we three take pride to be your children, amma, and want to see you growing again. It's a delight to see you live life again and watch you attending car driving classes early mornings.

Shabana Aziz

Just my mom

No My mom is not a hero .she is just my mom. My mom is not a rockstar.she is just a simple housewife(or homemaker if i want to be politically correct) and a mother of two. She is not highly educated but without exception she always knows what is right. She is not very beautiful but did always teach us to think beautifully. She was a refugee and struggled a lot in her early life to become what she is today.And that gives me inspiration to fight my way during times of distress. Inspite being a bengali she speaks flawless hindi and taught me my national language .Due to her i always got good marks in hindi and can boast off to have a good hold on it. She aint no leader but she always taught me to place the nation above anything and that influenced me more than any speech of any leader. Till this day she cant email but she  instantly knows what i want or what i m thinking just by looking at my face.She did nothing extraordinary in her life .She just did her responsibilities without failure or complaints and maintaned one family. She isnt a rubble rouser .She just raised two childrens successfully. My mom is just another plain,ordinary woman. No She is not a hero ,she is just my mom and thats why i love her.

Amit Chakraborty 

My idol

 Somebody told so right"God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers"
My mother is my idol.May be everybody can say it.Every mother is always best for their kids.Every mom wakes up in night and sees if their kids are sleeping nicely,if they need something in night or helping them out from any trouble.
Yes these all things are true for my mom also.My mom is having a quality to always think positive,This is the best thing i liked in my mom.We are 2 sisters & one brother.In childhood because of narrow thinking towards girls of our relatives and tight economical position,nobody was ready to send us in hostels or out of home,but my mom opposed everything & told i want to make my daughters highly educated & i want them to do the things which i couldn't do.Because of my mother now we are on the higher positions.I know for many people their mothers do these kind of things.Now the day came when everybody says that your mother was very brave because of her only we are here.
She gave us physical as well as spiritual support also.Many times she scolds us for doing something wrong that time we feel bad but after some time we realises that she is right.Whenever we did anything opposite to her words,we have always regreted for that.Because of my mom now my home is like a dream house or we can say it a temple.
Our mother is not our weakness she is our strength.She is always present to motivate us on each step of our life.Now My sister is Environmental Specialist,I am working with a Reaearch organization and my brother is going to complete hi Engineering.Thanks mom this all is because of u only.Thank God U came with us in form of MOTHER.

We luv u MA

Kanak, Naman,Sunny

Never say no for anything

When we have some pain, some problem or some trouble, the first word that comes out is Maa..

What does this Maa actually means? Is it just a word like sorry, thankyou, pardon me .. Not really, right? When you think about it, you come to know that It is word which heals all your troubles. A short and sweet word with a lot of strength in it.           

She is a person who will forgive all your wrong does, and love you as if you have never done anything wrong or against her wishes. You can feel the comfort in her arms, and when you lie on her laps, you forget all your worries and feel like heaven.

My mom, Hemlata Agrawal, is 54 years old. I salute her, for the amount of work she does. Her day starts at 4.30 in the morning, and ends at 10.00 in the night. Non Stop she is doing some or the other thing. A 20 year girl will fail to do the amount of work done by her. She knows to do almost everything. Just name the work and she will do it. No matter she is not feeling well she will see to it that we are not troubled. She will do each and everything for our happiness.

The best thing my mom thought me, which is my principle of  life is, There is nothing in this world which cannot be done. "NEVER SAY NO FOR ANY THING", In short "Everything is Possible". Because of this 5 little words, I get the strength and faith that I can do it.

The other good thing she thought me, is "Never be shy to learn". If you don't know anything, learn it. There is no age limit for learning. Even in this age of her, she is ready to learn new things. This motivates me a lot and I am never shy to learn new things.

There is so much to write about her, that I am not finding words to start and end. But I want to show my love and thankfulness to her by writing here.

I LOVE YOU MOM, AND I AM VERY VERY PROUD OF YOU.

You are the greatest gift of my life.

Renu Shyam Agrawal

A tribute to all the mothers!

Happy Mother Day!

"God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers." is an all time favorite Jewish proverb. I am 33 years old and a mother of two beautiful children. I loved my mother and respected her all the time. I only understood that "she is priceless" when I become a mother myself. My father went to Africa in the mid 60 for a better life for himself and his family. He got married to my beautiful mum in December of 1971. We all lived in Africa until my brother and I needed proper education. Due to the poor education system they sent us to India. My mother followed us and lived most part of her youth with us away from her husband. My mother emphasized on respect for oneself and others, stronger values, integrity, forgiveness and good morals with stronger education. I along with many other agree with Abraham Lincoln when he said "All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother."

My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer late last year. The thought of losing her was painful. I want her to know that I loved her yesterday; I love her today and will love her tomorrow as I am her reflection in the life's saga. She was there when I needed courage, she listened to me when I needed to talk, and she never left my side when I was feeling down. I know I can never repay all the things she has done for me but I promise to carry her role with my children with the same grace and dignity as she did.

I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her.

Shajjia Ahmed
Bangalore

I worship you

I remember the day my mother told me that once when she was asked in her school what she would like to become, she answered "Indira Gandhi" and how other students made fun of her. But I feel she is Indira Gandhi in her own way. She is strong, determined, and fearless and get things come her way. I am proud to be her daughter and always liked to watch her overcoming hardships in life in her own way.

She gave me identity and taught me life is not easy until you find it easy, forgive people and work hard and selfless no matter whatever the result would be and to be a good human being and find happiness in others smiles. She is a friend, teacher, guide and idol for me. I believe I don't have to look out for a role model, as my mother is the one for me. There could be no other big inspiration to me than her life.

She has come a long way from 1982 when she was a young widow with a 6 years old child. She was determined to give her child the best irrespective of whether others approve for it or not. And for that what she chose was to become independent. She was determined and she achieved it. I always put myself in her place, find helpless and wonder how she has done all those things for me what other helpless mothers were not able to do for their children.

I thank God for making me her daughter and giving me the opportunity to be a part of her life. I wish her keep going and make all her dreams come true. I love you Mom and moreover I worship you.

Sukhsma Shajeev