Mums are a force to reckon with Be it whipping up your comfort meal and instantly turning your mood around, helping you crusade through unearthly exam preps or just being your 3 am buddy. Often pegged as ones strongest pillar of support; Mum’s the word and the world! So, what better time than today to let them know that they mean the world to you? On this International Mothers Day, we applaud single mums in town, whose strength and unrelenting demeanour get us to give them a double tap right now!
Zabi Aiynikat, a young artist and single mother : ‘I want my daughter to be able to stand up on her own and make independent choices.’
“I’ve always been a happy soul, and I want my daughter to grow up to just be that. It’s very important for women to be in a position to make their own choices irrespective of their status,” believes Zabi. Inspiringly enough, her adopted daughter Zeesha is already taking baby steps. “She’s quite feisty for an 8-year-old. And doesn’t really depend on her mamma for everything. I have always believed in self sufficiency as that’s crucial for self respect.”
Ritu Arora, Punya’s mom on new age parenting: ‘Parents need to take the extra effort of building a rapport with their kids’
“Punya trusts me and confides in me first before anybody else. To me that’s crucial,” shares Ritu. Who adds, “Mothers need to be approachable. Be a good listener so that they reach out to you instead of peers who have the same level of wisdom as them.”
RJ Preethi, professional radio jockey and digital marketeer: ‘ I don’t know if a single mother can be a friend, but she can definitely be a dad’
“Honestly I never miss my father. I don’t hate him, but I am glad the way things are. I admire that, at such young age, mum was brave enough to walk out with a 40 days old infant and faced the world all alone. Also, her zeal for traveling around the world is very impressive.”
Preethi’s mother Mala S Rao mother: Women should learn to think independently.
“ I always projected a brave exterior in front of Preethi, owing to which she is a very smart and go getter kind of a kid today. Make your child independent (emotionally and financially, no matter what.”
Anchor Zeishah Amlani: ‘People judge me for the way i am with my mother. But the joke is on them’
“ I’ve learnt from her to hustle as you only have you. Our rapport has changed a lot over the years. I take the liberty to be myself around my mum. The relationship is so transparent and easy that not many people get it,” opines Zeishah.
Zeishah’s mum, Nilofer Amlani adds, ‘the only option is to be friends with your child’
“Raising two kids single-handedly is no joke. But, the struggle has made Zeishah very focused and fearless in the pursuit. Mums need to have a genuine interest in the happenings of their childrens lives.”
Punya Arora, stand up comedienne : ‘Mum has been through hell and she taught me to not lose faith’
“For all the hardships my mom has faced, I’ve always seen her smile and hold on to her strength and positivity and not lose faith. I love and admire this about her so much and it’s a huge part of what makes me, me, begins Punya,”
