Mother-the word itself carries so many emotions for us, especially for those who live far away from their hometown. The bond between our Mom and us is that of love, compassion, empathy and relentless affection. Something that can’t be comprehended in one sitting or even one eternity, and definitely not in a few words. The funny thing is most of what we took for granted in our childhood is something we so dearly crave now as an adult, whether it be the caress of our mother or the no-so-favourite meal she cooked.
Most of our memories with our mother hit us with full force when we are compelled to look back on them, whenever we feel happy, down or nostalgic. I believe that is the by-product of becoming mature and understanding our parents’ struggle better, especially that of our mother. Be it the old birthday photos wherein our Maa stood shyly in the corner or the stock of handmade goodies in our kitchen, we always keep some form of our mother’s love with us.
Now that we know better, we even do things to showcase our affection to our Mom, which seemed uncool earlier to our young brains. A surprise visit to our home, a lovely saree for her birthday, a sweet mothers day card or an impromptu trip to Nani’s house; we get a different joy in seeing her smile.
So, as a nod to our mothers, let’s go through the things that oddly remind us of them.
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Any random TV serial
Would our childhood be complete without the random memories of some atrocious TV serials and their bizarre scenes? In fact, some of us even enjoyed them but feel too shy to admit it. Whenever we see some glimpses of such TV serials on our devices, we instantly think back to the times our mothers would have their eyes attached to the screen. It is funny yet oddly nostalgic simultaneously, as while we have no interest in the next big vamp in ‘TV-town’, our mother clearly has. You might even find your mother watching the same TV show on your next visit home.
Special occasions
Festivals and special events are especially difficult away from your family. Mother’s Day, in particular, is when you really miss your Mom. After all, you miss your mothers’ laughter and angry scoldings that this day would otherwise have. Now, you are left stuck to a screen tracing the wrinkles at the end of her eyes as you video call her while the internet buffers every other second. The only respite is how much technology has advanced that things like online cake delivery, online mothers day gifting, online interactions, etc., have become mainstream to help mend up the hole that distance often brings in our close relationships. So, you are at least not completely cut off from your loved ones on occasions like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, birthdays, and more.
Doodles or reels on Instagram
Damn the internet for playing with our feelings! It is always some random reel that makes us drop a tear or two, or maybe more, as it reminds us of our mother. Either the creator has some sentimental song like Maa playing in the background, or they perfectly replicate a similar childhood memory with our Mom in their art. At this point, a call home becomes a must for those who openly express their love to their parents. And they most probably get bombarded with the ever-popular dialogue from their Mom, ‘Aaj kaise yaad aa gai.’
An empty home after a hectic day
Nothing is sadder than an empty home after a hard day of toiling away. There are bad days; then there are days when you want to put your head on your mother’s lap to forget all your worries for even a few moments. For most of us, our mother’s face is the first thing that comes to mind when we are feeling down, especially when living alone. After all, our mother’s voice has healing powers.
The dish she feels proud of
Our mothers have that one dish that is enough to win them a Masterchef title. And they know it, as everybody has complimented our Moms over it several times. In fact, our close acquaintances and friends from childhood still obsess over the taste of that dish from that one fateful lunch break. So, it makes complete sense that we are reminded of our mother whenever we see that dish in our daily lives. Be it Rajma Chawal or Aloo puri; the visual alone is enough to get us drooling and making plans for the upcoming holidays so that we can feast on our mother’s trademark dish. These few moments mentioned above pull us out of the chaos of our hectic schedules to reminisce about our mothers. No matter what the emotions they bring, these chapters from our day at least serve as a memento of the memories of our mothers, even if it is for a short time only.