~essence of me~

i have been inspired by a fellow blogger and a IM friend to be more thoughts driven. and one thing that i firmly, solely believe in and that drives me from within is, women rights.

probably due to my family history, or mebbe the first hand experience i get from watchin the women in my life, or even from my instinctive connectedness with the plight of other women who are strangers to me but nevertheless important, i've developed a passion for these issues.

looking at this from a cultural perspective, being an Indian, i know and have read about how disadvantaged women have been in the past and even to a certain extent the present. what the future holds is no longer in the hands of fate but, in our own.even in the times of the RAmayan (a hindu epic) Sita had to burn herself in order to PROVE her chastity to the world, husband included. for those of you who don't know this story, the fire did not consume her, and the world acknowledged her chastity, however, she did not return to her husband, merely because she claimed that though the whole world turned its back on her, he should have known better.

contrary to my cinderella and snow white, as a child, this story frustrtaed me. but now, i look at it in a whole new way. even in those ancient times women were strong enough to endure obstacles to prove their worth. even in those times, women had the dignity and self respect to walk away from their husbands (it was a huge deal then) to stand their ground. even then, there were strong women around and i dont see any reason why, women of the modern age can't draw strength from their selfs.

i see girls who let their lives be dictated by their good-for-nuthing bfs, or aunties who have to do everything for their husbands (inclusive of removing their shoes and socks), ladies who agree to marriage to the wrong guy, just so they don't die alone, girls who allow themselves to be beaten up and abused and girls who simply just stand by and watch as life throws crap at them. i feel for them, i sympathize, i emphatize.

but then again, im sorry for them cause they expect respect from others when they dont respect themselves, they expect love from others when they dont love themselves, they expect others to defend them when they dont defend themselves, they expect others to make their decisions for themselves when the answers are obvious and finally, they expect others to be their voice, when they refuse to speak for themselves.

here's to the strong women in my life, who have and i believe will alwiz stay strong and stay true to themselves and most importantly, acknowledge the inner strength and self respect mother nature has blessed us with and which women across time have fought so hard to prove.

My grandma: for fighting through the near-poverty state and educating all your children. for keeping the family together and always being there.

My mom: for taking the "D" step that changed our lives forever and for the better.most importantly, for finding love again and being brave enough to go against the odds.

My Auntie: for being strong and independent, and brave. for enjoying life's simplest things.

My Mich: for deciding you had enough of a dormant relationship and being proactive and taking a stand, though it hurt.

My Ann: for following your heart and standing up for your rights to happiness.for tolerating more than your share and being the one to make the decision.

My Arathy: for mending the bits and pieces and moving on to achive bigger dreams.

My Kohilah: for not taking shit from people who take advantage of you, for being assertive , for knowing yourself and for now finding that someone special.

My Suha: for always being level headed and charging at live head first. for the confidence you carry within and the faith you have in ur loved ones.

My Shalina: for thriving in spite of the circumstances, for not letting ur past hold you back from the promise of a better future.

My one and all: for being the woman you are.

** i guess no matter how much i try, i'm still driven by emotions, they are afterall the easiest to convey **