Everyday I wake up with the smell of yummy breakfast and I run down to see my Mom laboriously making something for me in the kitchen. This image takes me back a few decades and I feel wonderful to know that there is at least one person in this world who will never change. One person whose love is unconditional. She might not ask me every day how I am doing, but she will know if I am stressed by just looking at me. She is one person who will always love me and accept me for who I am. That does not mean that she will not point out my areas of weakness. But I know she is not judging me on those weaknesses. She might not appreciate my skills vocally or cheer me from the stands, but she is tolerant of my flaws and helps me overcome them. And that is a beautiful thing. Her suggestions and ideas to my problems are so contextual that I wonder where she gets the background from. We live very different lives in the US, as compared to India, but Mom’s advice is universal. That’s just how she is.
Living with your parents reminds you of where you come from.We both have our “ways” of doing things and we will only do it our way. The more I observe her, the more I realize how much I am like her. I get my stubborn (ness) from her. She is obviously a better cook than me but I think I beat her in OCD for cleanliness. She is more disciplined than I am about my diet, but she has days when she will want her jam on the bread and she will not budge from that demand. She is a better listener than I am. In that respect I am more like my Dad. She is a worker bee. I get that from her too. But the cutest thing we share is that we both suck pretty badly at diplomacy. I at least add a smile in the end of a frank comment, she won’t even try that 🙂 Somehow for me my Mom’s love is best represented through her cooking. (And to a certain extent it has become my mode of expression of love as well. Agam knows that quite well by now.) My mom puts in a lot of effort to make the yummiest of things and it is wonderful how she can make them taste exactly like they taste in India. Needless to mention I am getting spoilt by her while she is here. I have not cooked for a long time but I have become disciplined about my breakfast, packing lunch from home and my timely and healthy dinners. Not to forget the fact that since she is here I can spend as much time on as many days as I want in the gym without worrying about what is going to be on my plate tonight.
I shamefully accept that I have always taken her for granted. I just hope she will give me enough opportunities to make it up to her. Thanks Mom for all the gobhi paranthas, chole chawal, kadi pakora and the bundles and bundles of love that you shower on me every day. You are doing a great job playing a single parent after Papa’s death. He must be very proud of you. Love you Mom!
More after we are back from Maui.. until then!
Shivi 