The Gulmohar trees smiled shyly. It was the time. To spread the grandeur of her orange petals over the sun-soaked Mumbai City. The soft smitten mangoes showed off their sunshine beauty in a box full of grass. Before the ice golas could feel the Mumbai humidity it melted in the glass and was devoured by the sweat-laden children in the building society. The geyser in the bathroom felt odd, the cool water shower danced with pride, as the hot water geyser sighed sheepishly.
All were on vacation mode. Schools shut, and people working in offices were on leave to spend a few days of holidays with their families. And the moms were off to their mom’s place with their kids to take a much-needed summer break. But there was one woman in the house who never took a holiday. She was my son’s Nani. And all the Nani’s I guess. They wait for the summer vacation. To see their daughters and their grandchildren. They wait to go that extra mile because they know only one language, and that’s love.
This brings a very important question to the mind. Do homemakers or mothers ever get a break? When I visit my mom during the holidays she gets busier. She showers her love to her grandson. She feels her daughter must relax anyhow. The homemaker inside my mom gets activated twenty-four-seven. On the other hand, I am taking care of my hyper child at a different place, still, I try my best to relax or to do something for myself otherwise I get stressed out. But when I observe my mom or any homemaker I am bombarded with several questions altogether.
1. Why do homemakers feel the need to take care of others first?
2. Why does taking a holiday seem so difficult for a homemaker, a mom or a woman in general?
3. Why does a guilt trip always follow a woman?
4. Does putting ourselves first, make us selfish? And is this not applicable to the opposite gender?
5. “Just a homemaker” This tag often has so much to it. Millions of emotions that are unsaid. Why do homemakers feel incomplete in some way?
Summer holidays mean some time for reflection too. I observed some responses are conditioned in a woman’s head. For eg :
” I have to take care of everything else first.”
“I am a mother, how can I not do this for my child.”
“I must do this, even if I am unwell it doesn’t matter.”
“How can I go away just like that, I need to check on everyone first, then I’ll decide.”
The list is endless. We can go on adding. I feel the women in our homes, especially those who are the homemakers need to be cared for and be given respect at every step. A mother needs a holiday too. A homemaker quietly takes care of everyone, but what about her wishes or dreams?
Has anyone ever asked a homemaker if she feels the need to take a break or if she desires to work on her hobby or her lost dream? A mother is expected to take care of her child by herself. But what about her mental and physical health? Did you ask a new mother or any mother, how do you deal with your emotions?
I ask my mom all these questions. But alas! She is completely lost in her house. For her nothing seems more important than her home. When I ask my mom, “What do you do for yourself?” she has no answer. Just a smile.
And I know its meaning. She has found her life in her duties, so much so that she’s forgotten what her real self is. Is this a story of all the Nani’s, homemakers or every other woman?
The Gulmohar trees rested after summer. The mangoes said goodbye. The ice golas enjoyed a weather change. The geyser was ready with warm water again. Everything changed, with time and season. But one thing remained unchanged.
We the Women!
Help the woman in your house to follow her dream or hobby even though it may seem very tiny. Ask her to take a rest and appreciate her work. Because often the tiniest things take the biggest space in our hearts!
This summer vacation gift her a little vacation, for herself.
The Momma Clan 
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