Option B

I did not wish my mother on Mother’s Day. For me the last 33 years have been Mother’s Day.

A week back I received a call from my mother around 10.40 AM. It was a sad news. One of my cousin’s husband passed away. He was in his mid 30’s and survived by his wife and 2 tiny little kids. It was a moment of silence on the phone for me. That day it dawned on me that similar news was conveyed to our small world on June 5^th, 1984 when two tiny kids and a mother were left without a hope in this world.

Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant in their new book Option B captures what, in my world, my mother had gone through in life.

The unimaginable pain and loss which she went through also stand testimony to human beings nonetheless has the capacity to endure and thrive. There is this power of rehabilitation, recovery and redemption if we are to overcome adversity.

Rehab came in the way of donning the responsibility of bread winner for the family after his demise.

Recovery was her aim when she had to forget the past and create a new future for her children.

Redemption was in the form of staving off all the challenges in this hyper sensitive world towards our well being.

I knew from my mother that Karma is practical. She used to make us clean all the windows during weekends. On reflection , that was her way to keep our mindset clean and positive. The letter ‘n‘ in Wi”n”dow to me were the two non negotiable’s. Work ethic was one of that I have noticed. She loved her job. Another virtue is to be selfish to become selfless. She was taking care of herself so well that she started supporting her parents , mother in law and extended family. She is not a keyboard activist in today’s terms. She activated all those life keys for us to become a better version of ourselves in those 33 years.

We have two lives, and my mother had  lived those two lives: A life with and without. When I recollect my life with Dad , I remember scenes from the movie “Life is beautiful” that touched me so deeply and so emotionally. I savour the conversations between Dad and Son.

Option B through my mother’s life can well be summarized as the world is for you to create, you warp your world with your will.