Its International Women's Day. It got me thinking that if someday way into the future, i decide to have a child and i am blessed with a baby girl, this is what i will tell my daughter.
I Love you, forever and for always, regardless (I already know that now, dormant maternal instincts perhaps.) You are beautiful. What is beautiful? Beauty is skin deep. Dont let the world tell you and shape your body image. Dont let the opinions of others govern your inner voice. Listen to everybody but decide for yourself. Find what makes you happy. Dont let them ever tell you that you are weak. You are so much stronger than you know. Both internally and externally. Dont let them tell you that you cannot earn as much as men. You can be a businesswoman, a billionaire even, all by yourself. You can do everything that men can do. But respect men. Just because of a few ignorant men dont have a blanket policy for the whole gender. Respect them as your equal, neither superior nor inferior. Dont let them decide what is right or wrong for you. Trust your inner voice, that comes from the highest place of your conscience, the voice of reason. I want you to live your life with your head held high, certainty in your step and authority in your gentle voice, regardless of what they try to tell you.
Now just because i happened to be the medium that brought you into this world doesnt give me the right to tell you how to live your life. Once the umbilical cord is cut, you are a different person with your own set of values, dreams and desires and i need to respect that. My job is to be a constant guiding force, always there to explain if you dont understand the complexities of life, to hug and most importantly communicate with you every single day. I dont expect you to be my carbon copy (though it would be pleasant to catch a glimpse of my refection in the way you smile or if you have eyes just like me!) I want you to be your own person. I will never impose my strong and dearly held spiritual and religious and political beliefs on you, i will never judge your sexuality, how you express it or even your orientation for that matter (my only concerns being your proper education in this regard, your health and protecting your heart.) I may be an extrovert but its okay if you turn out to be an introvert. I love music, singing and dancing and i will be perfectly fine if you have two left feet and would rather pursue a career in engineering if thats what you like. I want you to be my best friend and to earn that i will do my part, my very best. If you decide to go on a diet i will join you, i will jog with you early morning till you reach your goal. I will never ask you to do something, i wouldnt. If i expect discipline i will first practise it myself. And if you find it hard will assist you gently any which way i can. I will never raise my voice or my hand. I will celebrate whether you come first in class or last. If last, it will be our challenge and adventure to get you to the top. I want your natural innate personality, gifts and attributes to rise to the surface and shine and dazzle the world, my role being solely to assist you get there. As a parent my only job is to love you and to remind you every day what a joy it is to have you in my life and to be able to live and experience it with you. Everyday is an adventure, a celebration! (I dont believe in the concept of a strict disciplinarian. "Spare the rod and spoil the child" is a redundant and absolutely wrong saying, should be immediately discarded. Every person has an inner voice of reason, if you appeal to that and explain it articulately it sticks, especially on the extremely perceptive and impressionable children that people ironically find hardest to reason with!) I just know, in my quest to give an innocent, brand new life a proper direction, to open up the doors of possibilities, to observe and gently guide and teach, eventually to make it all happen i will end up becoming a way better person myself. And for that opportunity i must and will thank you.
- S. Chaudhary
I Love you, forever and for always, regardless (I already know that now, dormant maternal instincts perhaps.) You are beautiful. What is beautiful? Beauty is skin deep. Dont let the world tell you and shape your body image. Dont let the opinions of others govern your inner voice. Listen to everybody but decide for yourself. Find what makes you happy. Dont let them ever tell you that you are weak. You are so much stronger than you know. Both internally and externally. Dont let them tell you that you cannot earn as much as men. You can be a businesswoman, a billionaire even, all by yourself. You can do everything that men can do. But respect men. Just because of a few ignorant men dont have a blanket policy for the whole gender. Respect them as your equal, neither superior nor inferior. Dont let them decide what is right or wrong for you. Trust your inner voice, that comes from the highest place of your conscience, the voice of reason. I want you to live your life with your head held high, certainty in your step and authority in your gentle voice, regardless of what they try to tell you.
Now just because i happened to be the medium that brought you into this world doesnt give me the right to tell you how to live your life. Once the umbilical cord is cut, you are a different person with your own set of values, dreams and desires and i need to respect that. My job is to be a constant guiding force, always there to explain if you dont understand the complexities of life, to hug and most importantly communicate with you every single day. I dont expect you to be my carbon copy (though it would be pleasant to catch a glimpse of my refection in the way you smile or if you have eyes just like me!) I want you to be your own person. I will never impose my strong and dearly held spiritual and religious and political beliefs on you, i will never judge your sexuality, how you express it or even your orientation for that matter (my only concerns being your proper education in this regard, your health and protecting your heart.) I may be an extrovert but its okay if you turn out to be an introvert. I love music, singing and dancing and i will be perfectly fine if you have two left feet and would rather pursue a career in engineering if thats what you like. I want you to be my best friend and to earn that i will do my part, my very best. If you decide to go on a diet i will join you, i will jog with you early morning till you reach your goal. I will never ask you to do something, i wouldnt. If i expect discipline i will first practise it myself. And if you find it hard will assist you gently any which way i can. I will never raise my voice or my hand. I will celebrate whether you come first in class or last. If last, it will be our challenge and adventure to get you to the top. I want your natural innate personality, gifts and attributes to rise to the surface and shine and dazzle the world, my role being solely to assist you get there. As a parent my only job is to love you and to remind you every day what a joy it is to have you in my life and to be able to live and experience it with you. Everyday is an adventure, a celebration! (I dont believe in the concept of a strict disciplinarian. "Spare the rod and spoil the child" is a redundant and absolutely wrong saying, should be immediately discarded. Every person has an inner voice of reason, if you appeal to that and explain it articulately it sticks, especially on the extremely perceptive and impressionable children that people ironically find hardest to reason with!) I just know, in my quest to give an innocent, brand new life a proper direction, to open up the doors of possibilities, to observe and gently guide and teach, eventually to make it all happen i will end up becoming a way better person myself. And for that opportunity i must and will thank you.
- S. Chaudhary
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