To all the moms in the world....

Last week we had a get to gather at an event with old batchmates and incidentally that event had a section for young entrepreneurs, and we were invited to a meet of a group of young entrepreneurs to talk to them, motivate them and share our lives’ learnings as a professional. The meet happened on the day of Mother’s Day, and since it was Mother’s Day, we decided to request each of the members to speak a few words about their mothers before they spoke of their entrepreneurial endeavor.

 It was most heartening and humbling to hear their stories and how, most of them attributed their success in life to their mothers. One lady, who is into corporate event management, said that her mother always told her that before making any big decision she needs to ‘stand straight with your backbone stretched and chin high. It will help you work with integrity, honesty, and confidence.’ Another gentleman, whose start-up is e-waste management, shared that during pandemic, when he lost his job and was in a soup, it was his mother, who one fine day, handed him a cup of tea, and told him that ‘you look back and brood or you look ahead and be hopeful is a choice you will need to make now. Looking back constantly will give you blurred vision and a neck-pain. Looking forward will help you see beautiful sights. What do you want?’ Another gentleman, who was from IIT-D shared that each and every day, when he was preparing for his IIT, his mother would wake up at 3am and sit by his side with her own work. Even on days he did not wake up to study, his mother would still be sitting by his side. He said that ‘I don’t remember I have ever seen my mom sleep or lie down!’

 One after another, stories started pouring in. Stories that reinforced the mettle of motherhood and why it is so cherished. Why, a mother’s job is deemed as the toughest job on earth and why mothers are called the curator of tomorrow. It’s not a myth, nor is it a blown-out-of-proportion glorified geek. One gentleman, whose startup is distribution of streetlights, shared that he lost his father at a very young age. His mother, though qualified, was a housewife then. But to support his education, she sold off all her gold ornaments and picked up a job as well. He said that he never heard his mother ever say things like she is tired or frustrated even though he could see her eyes sinking with the hard work and worry, her hair turning white overnight and the glow from her face dying down.

 Every story was a display of the powerful shining sheath of blade that mothers have in place of their backbone. They never give up. They bend when required and fall flat at times, but they always, always spring up ready to fight – fight you and fight with you; fight for you and fight the world. But they will fight. One lady shared that her mother was diagnosed with cancer when she was 15 years old. ‘I didn’t have a father,’ she shared, ‘and with the news, my world collapsed around me. Back that day, in the hospital, when she was receiving her first chemo, I broke down and cried. She looked so frail, and I thought I was losing her. But maa told me that I need to focus on my studies. Her mother said that “Don’t cry yet. I am not dying anytime soon. I promise”. She kept her promise. This lady is now an interior designer for commercial spaces. Her mother eventually died two years back.

The day was one of the best experiences I ever had in my life. Standing in front of me were not aspiring entrepreneurs but bright hopes and better futures. We sometimes worry about the various antics of the world and its ways. But after that day, I feel good. I know we will be good, and safe and loved and great. Why? Because though our future world is driven by new inventions or better technologies, but it is truly shaped by Mother’s love, their nurturing, and the kind of strength only a mother can bring.

Happy belated Mother’s Day!!