Mum's the operative word

With the mother’s day just around the corner, it comes as little surprise to see mums being showered with a dose of ‘special-ness’. But rounds of occasional pampering aside, how often do you lend a listening ear to your mommy dearest? Or rather, when was the last time you caught up on conversations about parenting challenges and her deepest fears?

In a bid to make celebrations a daily affair, Bengaluru-based entrepreneur Reshma Krishnamurthy conjured up Mums and Stories, a free online publishing forum for mothers, across the globe, to contribute, which is garnering attention among young adults and mommies alike...

“Post my delivery, the phase of being a stay at home parent somehow bothered me. I started taking the effort to write about pregnancy, the concerns and the like. I realised I would be happier if I wrote or met people outside my family. So, as a hobby, I began reaching out to mums on social media and interviewing ones in my circle. Their stories, revelations and agonies appaled me! So much so, I realised there was an untold story in us all. As mothers, we often tend to take the role of being providers, often overlooking our emotional needs. That’s when my journey on finding interesting stories began,”she shares.

While the journey started back in October in the year  2015, the entrepreneur-cum-writer asserts the idea is gaining momentum only now. Chronicling acid attack survivor and TV host Laxmi Agarwal was one of the highlights in her journey. “The stories are original, as they are from real women. I’ve spoken to celebrities, and had Aishwarya R. Dhanush, Sonali Bendre and a few more mothers contribute.  My message is simple: Not everyone can be inspiring, but I do believe all of us can be interesting. This is something I want mums to believe,” mentions Reshma. Speaking about what’s next on the anvil, she adds, “I wish to take my love for interacting with women and organise more offline forums and  talks shows in the future.”

Crusaders chronicle their stories: Snigdha Kemkar, a radio professional and mother of two, who shared her journey about raising an autistic child believes the forum helps everyday heroes get a boost of motivation. “I think it’s about time we encourage real stories from real women. My journey about parenting an autistic child was challenging, to say the least. But, I believe in seeing the better side of everything. The reason I wrote it is because there’s always the need for inspiration The idea was to strengthen, inspire and perhaps even educate mothers with special kids on what works, and what doesn’t.”

Echoing similar lines, Nalina Girish, a city-based mother of two teenagers adds, “I think the struggles of motherhood are often blanketed as ‘normal’. While we never offered gratitude to mothers who raised us despite so many odds, I believe we must encourage new-age mums to share their experiences and discuss their woes with women on the same boat than relying on expertly advice. Because empathy goes a long way. Sharing with those going through similar issues is a lot effective than you thought.”