I watched my best friend with her child yesterday. I watched as the little one cried, complained, laughed and ran around in circles. I watched thinking to myself, gosh how lucky am I that I don't have children and have to deal with this. In my head, Being a mum seemed like a 24 x 7 thankless job, where all you did was serve your child endlessly, with no time for yourself or anything else. It seemed like being a glorified butler - sans the uniform.
I have mothers who come to my yoga class and there too, all I hear is them talking about what their kids need, or will need. I often wondered why, why would an accomplished woman give everything up to become a mum? It logically made no sense!
As I sat contemplating this over my evening cup of Coffee, I remembered reading somewhere that the true expression of love is service of the beloved. I remembered watching people like Mother Teresa be glorified for her service to humanity, Narendra Modi to his nation and Mary Kom to her sport. I am sure to they too, at many many many points in their life would have felt like it was a thankless job - but in their ability to shut the individual ego up in the service of something higher - they inspired the rest of us to be better versions of ourselves.
unbeknownst to us, our mothers are just the same. They sacrifice their individual selves at the alter or love - us. They serve tirelessly never once complaining. When I think back to my own parents, I often ask - did I deserve the amount of love and support I got from them ? The answer is no? I was strong willed, followed my heart and did whatever I want? I was selfish and argumentative as a young adult. But did that ever stop my mom from loving me and guiding me towards being a better version of myself - the answer is no.
She embodied the very spiritual value that I was seeking to develop - the dissolution of the individual ego. I just never saw it. It was the same with my best friend.
So here is to serving, even when it is hard. Here is to serving the roses that will come with thorns and the thorns that will come with roses.
I have mothers who come to my yoga class and there too, all I hear is them talking about what their kids need, or will need. I often wondered why, why would an accomplished woman give everything up to become a mum? It logically made no sense!
As I sat contemplating this over my evening cup of Coffee, I remembered reading somewhere that the true expression of love is service of the beloved. I remembered watching people like Mother Teresa be glorified for her service to humanity, Narendra Modi to his nation and Mary Kom to her sport. I am sure to they too, at many many many points in their life would have felt like it was a thankless job - but in their ability to shut the individual ego up in the service of something higher - they inspired the rest of us to be better versions of ourselves.
unbeknownst to us, our mothers are just the same. They sacrifice their individual selves at the alter or love - us. They serve tirelessly never once complaining. When I think back to my own parents, I often ask - did I deserve the amount of love and support I got from them ? The answer is no? I was strong willed, followed my heart and did whatever I want? I was selfish and argumentative as a young adult. But did that ever stop my mom from loving me and guiding me towards being a better version of myself - the answer is no.
She embodied the very spiritual value that I was seeking to develop - the dissolution of the individual ego. I just never saw it. It was the same with my best friend.
So here is to serving, even when it is hard. Here is to serving the roses that will come with thorns and the thorns that will come with roses.
