ON MOTHERS' LOVE IN MODERN TIMES

On Mothers' Love in Modern Times

I have been looking at the transition of mothers over the past few decades.

The mothers of the 60s and 70s (Indian mothers that is), used to dedicate all their time for the children. They were full time home makers and their lives  were only for the children and the spouse. Their lives came to a standstill, at the exit of the kids or spouse.

The mothers of this millennium have a much harder time. Most Indian mothers( whom I know) are college educated. Most modern mothers now work to run the family finances… a significant increasing number are being single. In addition many have to drop off kids at school (cities have school buses, but in towns, many still do) , help with all the extra curricular activities in the evenings for the child ( music, dancing, martial arts, special classes for instance).

Modern mothers  manage their personal, professional and maternal lives by themselves…. they seem to have undergone a radical change . On the upside, most modern mothers are independent, know what they want of the child  and can take total care of the off springs by themselves…. But still nurse the children with the same kind of love and concern, just as the earlier mothers. On the downside, they seem more stressed as they have taken the additional welcome role of providing bread for the family!

I often listen to young mothers singing lullabies for their children ( in the surgical wards)….. many of the tunes are off tune, off timing with unclear and meaningless words to me. But ( suprisingly) the little ones listen carefully before dozing off to sleep…… And then the realization dawns on us that the lullaby is not sung for the world… it is sung solely for the child for whom it means the world! Such is the love and bonding between a mother and child.

Even when children grow up, they tend to confide more in more in others, talk more to mothers and care more for mothers…. It is not difficult to understand why! Mother’s love is always unique!

Maternal instinct is universal as it is also in non humans evidenced in our own loving pets as they can turn against us when we approach their newborns injudiciously, or even attack a larger animal with hostile intent, least caring for their own lives!

We learn so much about modern lab tests, scans and genetics to study health and life…. But I wonder if we ever will decode mothers’ love for the children!