To celebrate the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day, our readers honour a special South Asian woman in their life.
___________________________________________________________________________
“My mother is my hero.”
— Saad Minhas
To Mariam, the mother of a special needs angel who has redefined motherhood and reinvented South Asian womanhood–with indomitable courage, unconditional love, and a spirit that surpasses convention. You are too good for your time.
— Anonymous
They ALL do my head in, but I wouldn’t have it any other way 🙂
— Milan Patel
This woman I know studied in a Gujarati school and learned to speak English only when she went to university. Her pronunciation is far from perfect and her grammar is still quite awry. She knew her children had to be better prepared for the changing ways of the world and taught her daughter how to spell from the age of 2. It has been twenty years since that first day when she coaxed the young child to recite the alphabet and encouraged her to read books she hadn’t even had access to while growing up. Many a times, as a teenager, her child would mock her mother’s funny accent and spitefully correct her tenses. Her daughter now writes a 30-minute TV show (in English) single-handedly and realizes how she truly owes every single word in her vocabulary to this imperfect woman who taught her to spell.
Thanks mom.
— Maitri Somaia
My mother: Â a women of inner strength like no other, of kindness and generosity that is unmatched and whose love I can not live without. Love you mummy.
My sister: she’s my baby, she’s my love – she know what she wants and she’s never afraid to stand up for what she believes – she is a true inspiration.
My mother in-law: a women with the patience of a saint, a heart of gold and a sweet touch that can calm anyone and any situation. You are special.
— Unnati Patel
My mom inspires me ’cause she loves us without conditions and has been there for the family always.
— Jay Mathur
She’s an aura of Divinity, pure love – unconditional, undemanding; a woman of unshakable faith, forever forgiving my mistakes, a pillar of strength yet very sensitive and gentle, an epitome of courage yet soft hearted, she’s my eternal friend, without whose love and guidance I know I’d feel lost in this maze of a world.
— Tila Karadia
All mothers are unique and special. Some more than others. Mine has been a constant source of encouragement and inspiration. She has always been the sun that makes me smile through thick and thin. She is always pro-active, innovative, and a great source of encouragement to try different things and push through barriers WITH A SMILE!
— Ritu Narayan
Mum. Strong, brave, cuddly, lovely and always there. My mother in her life lost two of her daughters, this was Allah’s will. I the eldest saw how she managed and coped with this and everything else that was in her path. She still went on to have more children; in total we are now 6. When her mother died the tower of strength grew taller. So when Allah gave me the gift of a child I was overjoyed; it didn’t matter that the docs told me that she would be unable to do all the things other children do. I knew that over the years I had gathered strength from my mum to manage or cope with my own destiny.
— Mariam Ahmed-Alim
