Strength of a woman

It's amazing how much a woman can stand and tolerate and yet do it without realising her value and the sacrifice that she's giving. I came to know about another issue today...Kashmir burning. Makes me feel how we live in such a safe haven..and how people find things to laugh about everyday. I met a girl who accepted that her fate was to study in Hindi medium bcoz her father had no money to educate her in English medium...but he scraped enough money to educate her younger brother in a posh school. She's barely 16 and attends college, comes to the clinic..earns her keep to pay for her classes, bcoz her father cannot and will not pay for her classes. But he will pay 50,000 for her brother's medical education. I asked the girl why she was working and her answer was, " My dad can't pay for my classes..he has to pay for my brother's education." And just like that..she accepted it. No bitterness or even the thought that she's sacrificing so much, that she's been sidelined for her brother..who by the simple virtue of being a boy gets the preference. her eyes or her voice held no grudges...or even a doubt that this was wrong. She accepted it, she thinks that her brother should do his medical bcoz he is more intelligent than her. Bcoz she has to step back so that he can dream and learn. The girl simply didn't think that there cud be another way or that she could fight for a better education too..she didn't question why it was her who had to work to pay for her fees when her brother was busy cramming at home, for girls like her it's never an option, it just is. They do it bcoz they believe that its the right thing. I was amazed. I admire the strength and resilience of the girl..to do so many things at once....and even more so do them wholeheartedly. Without a grudge. It wud be too cliche to say that I felt my problems dissapear before hers..simply bcoz she did not consider her poverty to be a setback...she just accepted it the way it is.

But I did feel petty and small, and mean and selfish. So I made a promise to myself im gonna enjoy every moment as it comes since my problems are just my excuses to not work and exercise my fullest talent and potential.

So I'm gonna be cool, be in front.
Be aggressive, but never submissive.
Walk. sing..laugh and cry
Lick an ice cream cone...run behind a train.
I'm every woman..I'm me.
I'm gonna jump..skip..hop and dream
I'm gonna fly..but keep my feet on the ground.
I wont ever let anybody exploit or demean me
I'm special..coz I'm me
And nobody ...nobody can take it away from me
My strength, my power, my mind and my heart,
Mine to keep until I choose.
Forever and ever.

P.S: I'm on a campaign against self pity and sympathy...also against excuses, denial and lies..hope I succeed.