My tribute to the women in India!

 

My tribute to the women in India!

During my recent trip to India, I had realized I was soaking in way more than I was looking for. Over and again, I was struck by the amazing resilience of the Indian woman. As I silently looked around, it was quite an awakening for me to realize that an average working woman in India tolerates the sweltering heat like a boss.(not every family can afford air conditioning) She does not wear makeup, nor does she rely on a car. She dabs on some talcum powder on her face,a bindi on her forehead, flowers on her hair to start her day. Some have a two wheeler. The rest use public transportation - a bus with open windows. She still wears her traditional clothing - a six yard sari! Even on the hottest day of the year, her life seemed to go on in a normal cadence. She goes on without complaining, without rolling her eyes but with a smile on her face. What she seems to exude is a silent fortitude despite how tedious or physically hard her job is.

         Of the women that captured my attention, there was a woman who cared for her disabled husband, a woman, estranged, because her husband was hiding from the authorities in another town, a widow tasked with caring for her grandchildren, there was another taking care of her widowed mother in law along with her own family. 

         After a full day of labor intensive work outside of the house, I could tell that any working woman would go home to a hungry family and would have to start making dinner right off the bat, tend to washing clothes, washing dishes and help the children with homework.

There is going to be no kicking off your shoes and resting your feet but I do have a feeling that there is going to be a TV show to watch at the end of the day. Maybe a new sari she can buy at the end of the month.  Maybe a gold earring that she has her eyes on. That she could afford in a couple of years. She presses on looking forward to tiny little joys scattered somewhere in the future.  

And yet there is a smile that lingers and she extends her warmth and hospitality to anyone that graces her doorstep.

Just to bring forth the irony, I have to mention that men have it slightly better. Almost all of them have a motorcycle or a car to get around and more often than not are able to work in an air-conditioned building. The burden of household chores, however, falls squarely on the woman. 

Am I biased? Maybe, just a little. 

Kudos to you if you fall even remotely in this category, my friend. A thousand kudos. Even if you are in a different country, different circumstances, even if you do own a car or wear makeup.

May your days treat you better and your nights lull you in deep restful slumber as you await another day!