While most children go out and celebrate Mothers’ Day with a lot of fanfare, there are some for whom this big day comes almost every fortnight. It means taking parents for a holiday or a dinner date followed by a movie. SHAlINI SAKSENA speaks with some such children who make their moms feel special the year round
A son gets irritated when the mother asks him to call her. “Kaam karoon ya aap ko phone karoon,” is his refrain. The mother is crestfallen as the son walks out of the house in a huff only to return to grab the phone that his father hands him. Once back in office in another city, the son realises that his phone has been silent for hours. Taking it out from the pocket he finds that it is his mother’s phone. “Ma ko koi phone nahin karta” is his first thought and he immediately calls his mother and tells her that he will call every day from now on. This is an ad on TV by a popular service provider.
While there are some children who may forget to be in touch with their parents and only call on certain special days like Mothers’ Day, there are many who don’t wait for an occasion to make their mothers feel special.
For 26-year-old senior event manager, Amit Khurana, taking his mother out for dinner followed by a movie is a fortnightly event. “My work keeps me away from home for long hours. I seldom get time to interact with my parents on a daily basis. Hence, I make sure that I take one day every fortnight to take my mother out. We talk and catch up with what is happening in my life, her life and general family gossip. I also take advice on relationship, where to invest and how I have invested my money,” Khurana says, adding that the only reason why his father is not a part of such dos is because he doesn’t want to come between the mother and son time.
Khurana is not alone when it comes to spending quality time with his mother. For Saurabh Roy spending time with family was a done thing. “As a child my parents and I would go out for dinners on a weekly basis. So the tradition has carried on with a slight difference. It is now just my mother and me. We go for dinner and talk of general things — my work and her work (she is the head mistress with a Government school),” the 27-year-old tells you.
It is not just dinners that the mother-son go on. There is shopping as well. While most boys may feel embarrassed to go shopping with their mothers, this corporate lawyer with an MNC has no such problems. “There is no awkwardness. My mother knows my choice and going with her makes it easy for me. And it is not as if I don’t go alone. But seven out of 10 times, I am with her,” Roy states adding that he enjoys these outings with his mother.
Agrees a freelance media professional. “My busy schedule keeps me tied-up most evening with weekends being the busiest. The only free time that I have is during the day. So, once in a while I go shopping with my daughter. We spend a couple of hours looking at the latest fashion trends. In case she likes something, I buy it for her, otherwise, we end up having lunch. Those few hours that I spend with her are beautiful,” Sadhna Shrivastav tells you.
Then there are some who put in a lot of thought in what to gift their mother on Mothers’ Day. Twelve-year-old Mihika last year, gave a duppatta that she had painted herself. “I wanted to give something that I had made. So I bought the material and asked my art teacher to print the design that my brother, Siddhant and I had chosen. My mother loved it. So the time and effort put into making it was worth the joy on her face,” Mihika tells you. And then there are some who give their mothers their entire two-year savings. “It was not something great that I did. My mother has sacrificed a lot for me. I come from a very conservative family where having a son is a must. So when I gave my mother Rs3 lakh, she cried a lot. ‘Bete ki koi zaroorat nahin hai’ my mom had said. That was the moment for me,” Manjusha Singh says.
While it is easy for children to go out with their mothers if in the same city, it becomes a tad difficult to do something for the mothers long distance. To make up for the lost time, there are some children who take time out from their professional lives to take their parents, especially their mothers on a holiday. “I believe parenting is the most difficult job in the world — more so for the mother — so, it seems rather meagre to just name a single day as Mothers’ Day, as if for the rest of the 364 days she doesn’t really count. Even if I forget Mothers’ Day, I try to give-back in any way I can, when I can. I feel I am particularly lucky that at 47 I still have my parents. Ten years ago, I had no notion of any give-back; like most children, I too felt parents were a given and there to give. Nothing to fuss over or about. Okay, they should remain in good health and carry on as usual but that was about it. Now I realise all that they have done for me from the moment I was born,” Manjira Dutta tells you.
So one of the things that she does at least once a year is go on a holiday with them and focus exclusively on them. She chooses a place that’s easy to travel to and move around in. This is not intended to be one of those hectic, lets-pack-activity-into-every-minute type of holiday. This is their time, no husband, no children, no sibling, no friends, just Dutta and her parents. “Till about six years ago, I would send them on a holiday by themselves but, I realised, they were more keen to be with me rather than be away on holiday in an exotic place. When we are on vacation together it’s not like being at home. First, it’s a refreshingly new environment where you are waited upon; our space is magically cleaned; food is just a call away; there’s a pool and spa to relax in; no doorbells; no pressing domestic chores. And best of all, there is absolutely no compulsion or need to do anything. We can sit back, relax and just talk without interruptions, and be happy together,” Dutta says.