This was a loooong Facebook status, inspired by the fact that when my uncle saw a video about strong women, he instantly thought of my mum.
My uncle just sent my mum a beautiful women's day message. It made me reflect on my family.
ALL the women in my family are amazingly strong and intelligent. They have been the best role-models any child could have. The women in my grandparents' generation have all weathered different adversities admirably.
The women in my mum's generation - my mother, my aunts and even extended family, have all lived hard lives, and have almost single handedly brought up amazing children. They are the strongest, most intelligent and most hardworking people I know. (This includes Amma, Vasanthi-, Bari-, Viji Chittis, Chandra Aunty and Jemma Amma).
In fact, my family is almost matriarchal in spirit.
I don't have to say much about the women in my generation. Hamsa, Rachna, Jemma, Priya and Suraksha - all brilliant, beautiful and amazing in every way.
My brothers (cousins included) have grown up with the idea that women are equal to them in every way - physically, mentally, intellectually. They've made us lift furniture, change tires, fix things around the house, talked tech, without it even crossing their minds that we are "girls". Some even take offence when people suggest, or even jest, that women can't do somethings. *coughRaghucough*.
These men (brothers, cousins, extended family - Nagi, Raja, Muths, Vivek, Giri, Vijay, Raghu, Vini) don't just treat us women as their equals, but do their fair share at home and in child care.
I'm grateful our children are growing up with such role-models. I hope they learn, as we did, to believe, even unconsciously, that we are all equally capable.
I look around and I hope I measure up to the women and men in my family.
