The Second Family Pillar: A Mother

8 months, one apartment,

11,462 km away from home,

A small 4 year old watched,

Observed carefully,

As her mother juggled,

Oh so gracefully,

Her responsibilities

Being the pillar of strength,

And courage,

For all those around her.

Inspiring,

How a woman can come

Newly married,

To a new country,

And battle,

To support her husband,

And her 4 year old,

Not once allow the beautiful,

Supportive smile,

falter.

As the 4 year old observed,

Every day,

She learned the power

Her mother holds within herself,

The determination to never,

Ever,

Give up.

This is poem number 4 from a small poem book I had made my mom for her birthday a couple of years ago. As you can correctly predict, this post will be about the next pillar of a family: a mother.

Let's break this poem down, shall we?

8 months, one apartment,

11,462 km away from home

As recent immigrants to Canada, we lived 11,462 km away from what we considered to be our home: India. We lived in a small but cozy and sufficient apartment together. This transition from constantly being around people we knew to a completely different and unknown community was difficult to say the least. I could even go to the extent of saying that a slight bit of imposter syndrome had crept into our lives as we all felt inadequate to sustain a life here. However, we played as each other's strengths.

A small 4 year old watched,

Observed carefully,

As her mother juggled,

Oh so gracefully,

Her responsibilities

As a 4 year old, I watched my mom juggle all of her responsibilities with so much poise and grace every day. Moving from a country where she could get help just through a simple phone call to a country where she does not know anyone that could help her, she knew her responsibilities had grown. Not only must she have had to take care of the household, she had to support her husband while he found a sustainable engineering job. It was like magic to my young eyes, how one woman can handle so much without any complaints. None.

Being the pillar of strength,

And courage,

For all those around her.

She was the pillar of strength and courage for my dad. For me as well. Neither of us ever witnessed a glimpse of when she may have broken down herself. She remained strong. Managing the low monthly household income with a smile on her face, assuring my dad (when he needed it) that things will get better and he will find a wonderful job in his discipline of engineering while establishing parenting every day just came natural to her. Seeing this every day provided my dad and I the courage to fight the battles we were facing.

Inspiring,

How a woman can come

Newly married,

To a new country,

And battle,

To support her husband,

And her 4 year old,

Not once allow the beautiful,

Supportive smile,

falter.

Inspiring is the correct term to describe this incredible woman. A newly married woman with a 4 year old daughter in a new country, she supported her family. Unwaveringly. She never let the smile leave her face as she battled each day.

As the 4 year old observed,

Every day,

She learned the power

Her mother holds within herself,

The determination to never,

Ever,

Give up.

My young eyes observed how much power my mom holds within herself. I saw her unwavering determination to never give up. And that is what I remind myself every day. I am the daughter of such an incredible and resilient woman, I will never give up!

Beyond this poem, after my dad landed a job at an engineering company that built him into the immensely successful man he is today, my mom faced more obstacles. As we moved to our current city, the 17 years here were never easy for her. She battled ridiculously false rumours, jealous people and bullying on top of a new set of responsibilities. However, she remained resilient. She fought until she created a well-reputed and respectable name for herself. Her constant courage, perseverance and unconditional support are an inspiration to me. She never allowed the faith she had in her husband to shake, never doubted her husband. In fact, she led each day with a sweet and supportive smile reassuring him that his opportunity to shine is just around the corner.

I hope this brief life story of the incredible woman I am blessed to call my mom gives you some courage to fight the battles in your life too. You will triumph, I promise. While you're at it, please sit down with your mom and thank her for all she has provided you.