Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Mother

"To her who loves us before she meets us"

- The inscription on Monumento a la Madre in Mexico City


But her uneasiness increased. Since her son's strangeness was not clarified with time, her heart became more and more sharply troubled with a foreboding of something unusual. Every now and then she felt a certain dissatisfaction with him, and she thought: "All people are like people, and he is like a monk. He is so stern. It's not according to his years."

She listened and shook her head dolefully, feeling something new, unknown to her, both sorrowful and gladsome, like a caress to her troubled and aching heart. It was the first time she had heard such language about herself, her own life. It awakened in her misty, dim thoughts, long dormant; gently roused an almost extinct feeling of rebellion, perplexed dissatisfaction--thoughts and feelings of a remote youth. She often discussed life with her neighbors, spoke a great deal about everything; but all, herself included, only complained; no one explained why life was so hard and burdensome.

"Lord in heaven, have mercy!" the mother muttered again, shuddering with the cold and horror of an unformed fear.

- Random Lines from Mother by Maxim Gorky, 1906

Footnotes:

This is a tribute for my Mother who turned 51 today. I can't help think about all those painful sacrifices she made, to make me a better person. Utterly selfless and unconditionally committed, she stood like a strengthening force in whom I found a lot of support, courage and value. I pray to God to give her the strength for the most burdernsome task, which is to be able to continue to bear the utterly incorrigible spoiled brat of me, to say the least!

45 comments:

  1. Birthday wishes to your amma!!!

    Just reminded of this article...

    WHEN GOD CREATED MOTHERS . . .
    When the good Lord was creating mothers, He was into His sixth day of overtime when the angel appeared and said, You’re doing a lot of fiddling around on this one.

    The Lord said, Have you read the specs on this order?
    she has to be completely washable, but not plastic;
    Have 180 movable parts . . . all replaceable;
    Run on black coffee and leftovers;
    Have a lap that disappears when she stands up;
    A kiss that can cure anything from a broken leg to a disappointed love affair;
    And six pairs of hands.

    The angel shook her head slowly and said, “Six pairs of hands? No way.”
    “It’s not the hands that are causing me problems,” said the Lord. “It’s the three pairs of eyes that mothers have to have.”
    “That’s on the standard model?” asked the angel.

    The Lord nodded. “One pair that sees through closed doors when she asks, ‘What are you kids doing in there?’ when she already knows. Another here in the back of her head that sees what she shouldn’t but what she has to know, and of course the ones here in front that can look at the child when he goofs up and say, ‘I understand and I love you,’ without so much uttering a word.”
    “Lord,” said the angel, touching His sleeve gently, “Come to bed. Tomorrow–”

    “I can’t,” said the Lord. “I’m so close to creating something so close to myself. Already I have one who heals herself when she is sick . . . can feed a family of six on one pound of hamburger . . . and can get a nine-year-old to stand under a shower.
    The angel circled the model of a mother very slowly and sighed. “It’s too soft.”
    “But tough!” said the Lord excitedly. “You cannot imagine what this mother can do or endure.”
    “Can it think?”
    “Not only think, but can reason and compromise,” said the Creator.
    Finally the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek.
    “There’s a Leak,” she pronounced. “I told you were tying to put too much into this model.”
    “It’s not a leak,” said the Lord. “It’s a tear.”
    “What’s it for?”
    “It’s for joy, sadness, disappointment, pain, loneliness, pride.”
    “You are a genius,” said the angel.
    The Lord looked somber. “I didn’t put it there.”

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  2. Birthday wishes to your mother, Rakesh!

    A wonderful and simple tribute!

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  3. Was so touched reading the tibute to your mother. Wishing her many many more happy returns of the day.

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  4. This post awe struck me! I felt what more nice way is there to praise our mothers. My best wishes to your mother buddy, to give her long, happy and healthy lifetime.

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  5. hey first of all warm wishes to your mother on her birthday,
    you touched me with your post
    it reminded that i have not called up my mom since 3 days :)
    thanks for that

    hey nice space
    loved it

    cheers :)

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  6. when i came to the uae for a job, only my mom asked what do u do for food? is there a doctor nearby? best wishes boss and greetings to yr mom..

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  7. Many happy Returns of the Day to your mother :)

    Moms are like that !
    God couldn't be everywhere so he created mothers.

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  8. happy birthday to your mother!

    interesting... my mother's birthday is in three days, on february 7.

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  9. a great tribute to ur mom on her special day..convey my regards to her..

    have never read this book..maybe if I read, I may be able to interpret this more effectively

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  10. Another mother who, like most of them, are worth this kind of homage! Happy birhtday to her!

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  11. aww beautiful bday tribute to a mother!

    Happy Birthday Rakesh's mum! :)

    Keshi.

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  12. many happy returns of the day to your mother!!

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  13. First -- My Birthday Wishes to Amma :)

    She is just 10 years older to me :)

    And those lines from "Mother" are byheart to me, my dear Rak...

    I wanted to do one post about Gorky and "Mother" at "essential me" but then left the idea...I don't really feel like working on that blog...

    But may be with time I may also -- Many writers and books keep haunting me -- writing them out was a good release :)

    anyway, so happy to read this post...

    love,
    devika

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  14. Birthday wishes to amma :) God bless!! :) a warm and fond wish, this tribute :)

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  15. a very happy bday to your mom....god bless

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  16. dear Rakesh..
    liked the post very much..
    Birthday wishes to your mother.
    take care

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  17. hi..visited ur blog for the first time..adding myself to ur long followers list :)
    nice post ya
    why is it tht we forget to thank so many people who have taken so much pain for ur...i m surely going to thank my mom today for whteva she has done for me :)
    Thnx for reminding

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  18. Happy Birthday to your mother.
    You give her many reasons to be proud of her "work"!!

    She was born on a very good year...I know,because it's mine too!!!!

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  19. Hi Rakesh! Happy (belated) Birthday to your Mother!
    Great gift, this post!!

    Blogtrotter has entered Rajasthan! Enjoy and have a great week!

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  20. Bharath

    What a wonderful little story there! It moved me!
    Thanks for sharing it!

    Greatly appreciate your wishes! Have passed them on!

    Thanks very much

    Cheers

    Rakesh

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  21. Usha Ma'am

    Thanks much for your comments!
    Greatly appreciate your wishes! Have passed them on!

    Thanks very much

    Cheers

    Rakesh

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  22. Kat

    Welcome back! Its great to see you! Hope you are doing well!

    Thanks very much for your comments!
    Greatly appreciate your wishes! Have passed them on!

    Thanks very much

    Cheers

    Rakesh

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  23. Jeevan

    Thanks ever so much for your wonderful wishes! I've passed them on!

    Cheers

    Rakesh

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  24. Chintan

    Thanks very much for visiting! And also for your wishes!
    Do keep coming

    Cheers

    Rakesh

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  25. Ramesh

    Its so true that Mothers care for us more than anyone else! Perhaps, none other can be so empathetic, caring and considerate than a Mother!

    Thanks very much for your wishes!

    Cheers

    Rakesh

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  26. IHM

    Thanks very much for your wishes!

    True, Mothers are indeed the most wonderful people ever!

    Cheers

    Rakesh

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  27. Polona

    Thanks very much for your wishes! Please convey my belated birthday wishes to your Mother!

    Cheers

    Rakesh

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  28. Praveen

    Many thanks for the warm wishes! And do please try to get hold of the book, for it is a must here!

    Cheers

    Rakesh

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  29. Vimmuuu

    Thanks very much for the wishes. Have passed them on!

    Cheers

    Rakesh

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  30. Peter

    Thanks very much for your kind wishes. Have passed them om

    Cheers

    Rakesh

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  31. Keshi

    Thanks very much for your warm comments and wishes!
    Have passed them on!

    Cheers

    Rakesh

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  32. belated wishes to ur mom..!! can't belive i missed this post!!!!!! sowwy was away... :) nice post

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  33. Magiceye

    Thanks very much for your wishes

    Cheers

    Rakesh

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  34. Devika Chechi

    Thanks very much for your kind wishes. Appreciate them!
    Gorky's Mother was a wonderful read too, isn't it?

    Cheers

    Rakesh

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  35. Sashu

    Thanks very much for your kind comments and wishes. Appreciate them!

    Warm Regards

    Rakesh

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  36. Rakesh

    Thanks very much, my friend!

    Regards

    Rakesh

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  37. MIP

    Thanks very much Sir! Greatly appreciate your comments and wishes!
    Have passed them on!

    Cheers

    Rakesh

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  38. Nav

    Hope its fine if I call you so ;)
    Thanks very much for visiting and leaving me some very kind comments
    Appreciate them! Also, thanks for being part of my fellow bloggers who are an immense source of satisfaction like none other!

    Coming to the subject of the post, yes, most often we neglect to thank our loved ones since we have always taken them for granted!
    I guess we should never ever take anything for granted and value life in the truest sense, every moment!

    Thanks once again!

    Do keep coming!

    Cheers

    Rakesh

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  39. Marie

    Thanks very much for your wishes and kind comments!
    Mothers are the best, aren't they?

    Warm Regards

    Rakesh

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  40. Gil

    Many thanks for your comments and wishes! Have passed them on!

    Warm Regards

    Rakesh

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  41. Elith

    Thanks so very much for coming and leaving me your wishes! I will pass them on!

    Warm Regards

    Rakesh

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  42. I first read Mother when I was in 9th standard...

    and since then I read it many times...don't remember :)

    I got the book here with me :)

    devika

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