When I was a little girl, I really wanted to have a sister. I remember, all the way up until I was 12 years of age, continuously harassing my mom. I was grateful for my older brother but I also wanted a sister. I so craved that close bond and friendship.
But my persistent nagging never really got any action or reaction, for that matter, from my mom. At the time, in India, there was a huge campaign being run by the government to try and control the population. They encouraged all couples to have only two children. (Obviously, wasn’t so successful.) But my parents and many others in their age group certainly followed the “Hum Do, Hamare Do” (meaning the two of us and our two). My dream of having a sister and a built in best friend was sacrificed in the interest of the country.
But I have discovered over the years, when you really want something from the core of your heart, the universe delivers. It may deliver in ways that you could never imagine, but it delivers. As I look at my life, I am humbled by the incredible women I have the privilege of calling my friends. From my two amazing daughters; my beautiful mom; my charming sister-in-law; my village friends; my school friends; college friends; relations turned into friends; met along the journey of life friends; my husband’s friends’ wives turned into friends; my children’s friends’ moms turned into friends; younger friends; older friends; and of course to now the new media friends; they are all amazingly beautiful women.
I have learnt so much from each and everyone of them. Today I feel strong; fearless; courageous; peaceful and whole because they have been my support; my strength; my inspiration; and my courage. I am so thankful for all the love and support I have been given by them through out. Needless to say that void in my life is now overflowing.
I wanted to pen a tribute to the beauty and the extraordinary spirits of these women. Every day they choose to get up, face their fears, work through the challenges, make compromises, endure the difficulties, be there for everyone, stay strong and march on with a smile on their face.
Yet when they look in that mirror (myself included), they fail to see the real beauty that resides within them. They are constantly caught up in trying to measure up to the illusion of perfection so perfectly crafted by society. This false image never fails to reminds them they are not enough. Not smart enough, not pretty enough, not tall enough, not slim enough, not strong enough, etc., etc. This tape plays non-stop and it needs to stop.
As women, we need to remind each other just how beautiful we are in our perfectly imperfect ways. So next time you look in that mirror, my friend, I hope you see what I see.
It’s time to courageously own our beautiful, authentic being and embrace the real inner beauty. It’s time to help each other realize that beauty. The next time you look in the mirror, I hope you see what I see…
This post was inspired by the last post I wrote on The 10 Secret Of Aging Gracefully.
With lots of love,
Devinder 💖
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