I wrote this essay for the PRCI essay competition on ‘Daughter’s Day’… Read on..
A woman wears many hats with confidence and grace – be that of an obedient daughter, responsible wife or a caring mother. We have heard this zillion of times and will continue to. For me, a woman is akin to a butterfly that represents freedom to fulfill her deepest aspirations and dreams. Both men and women have multitude of dreams but there is a difference and that is, a woman dreams not only about herself but her family too. Happiness is sought after by all of us and we seek it in different ways. Women seek happiness and pleasure in achieving the best for themselves in the career front and to be a steady force in their family. Work-life balance has become the buzz word today. In today’s dog-eat-dog world, it sure is ‘survival of the fittest’ and who better than women can fit the bill.
I work as an Account Executive at a PR firm. We recently conducted a book reading event for ‘Working Mothers’. Each of the women, who had contributed to the book, read out few excerpts of days of emotional disturbance, of leaving their tiny tots, of tears that would roll down their cheeks, and of days of not getting to catch a glimpse of their dearest. But the only motivating factor for the working mothers was the twinkle in the eyes and the innocent smile that would push them to work harder. It’s not only the upbringing of a child that concerns a woman, it is also the family life that makes her complete. Apart from this, her dreams of doing what she wants to and being what she wants to be cannot be uncared for. Women are sacrificing by nature, but today’s competitive women are ready to multi-task and are go-getters.
A question from one of the few men from the audience thundered claps at the venue. The man asked the difference between a working father and working mother. To this one of the women contributors of the book narrated an anecdote – She was traveling on work. One night she spoke to her son over the phone, and asked him if he had milk. To this the little boy said, ‘Papa gave me Pepsi’. That said it all!
My sister is working in a reputed MNC in the accounts department. Managing work and family has become her trademark. She excels at it; she looks after her home and her son with equal passion. Life sure changes for a woman drastically and she braves them confidently. Women have strong personalities and the fact that they do extremely well at multi-tasking makes them acers in this category.
This was particularly with regard to women in the IT field but there are millions of such women across the globe who may not necessarily work in a reputed place but are examples of women who manage career and home. Look around and you will find such women – the maid who keeps your home spick and span, the vegetable vendor who tries her best sales strategies, and many more.
Few days back Times Life (TOI) carried an article about women of the present generation being ultra glamorous and rebellious as ‘Veronica’, of the famous Archie’s comics. Today a man too seeks a woman who has the passion to succeed in every aspect of life. Ambitious women were once considered to be aggressive by nature. That’s no longer the case, determined women think of the best not only for themselves but also for the family. Solitude is no longer craved for but happiness and contentment in the family and career front sure is.
At the career front too, women have proved that they can do wonders and at the same time manage home. Society projects women as the weaker sex but that’s not what it is. Women are blessed with a strong mind and soul. This makes them truly successful in every aspect of life. Women balance work and home easily and they know to keep both their colleagues and their family members happy.
Being responsible for your actions and making the most of now is a skill that women possess. Also time management is their biggest strength and they must hone this aspect as this will take them to great heights and they will achieve what they have set forth to. A woman gets the tag of ‘nagging’ but I doubt that. If a woman is claimed to be nagging for all the reasons or for no reasons (as the men put it), then she must be doing it for - having to work out the morning/night shift that best suits her family, having to send her kid to a crèche or her mother’s place, keeping the meals ready for her family, and while doing all this and many more make a name for herself at her place of work and strive hard each day to make it big.
Women are often not thanked or shown gratitude. I doubt if a man can ever do what a woman does and manage both the career and family with the patience and zeal of a woman. A man too takes care of both but there are many aspects that a woman is capable of doing but a man is not. It’s not to put down the men, but we have all witnessed this at our place and elsewhere, so I take the liberty in saying these powerful statements.
To conclude, women are the sole force that can weather any storm and brave both the career and family. It becomes an integral part of a woman’s life and a woman’s efforts to better both continue with great fervor. Determination and will power are the strengths that women have been banking on since ages and today in the 21st century all of us sure know its not new, its just that we as human beings have woken up to this age old fact and I’m glad we have!
