This world is a beautiful place. It’s really amazing how different
countries with their unique cultures exist in harmony here. I know, there are
some exceptions; however, I think that is
almost negligible when I see the culmination
of values and beliefs in our universe. Everyone is exclusive and different, yet
all of us make this planet livable. As a mature person who got the chance to understand the
ethos of a few other continents, I can proudly say that our country holds a
different space in this world, a culture that is known for its strong family
system and core values. Feeling proud about our mother land is no unique. But
being an Indian, I have gained so much at my professional front.
Yes, I am a working mother of a 3-year-old boy. I have close to 9 years of experience in software
industry and I am looking forward to work for more and more years. Being a
mother and being a professional person bring two different kinds of challenges in
life. And when you work for a demanding client of a distant country, the
expectation automatically gets high. Last year I got aligned to a project which
belongs to a US client and the client company is known for its rigid approach
towards accepting changes. But work is work, no matter who is the client. As a usual process of a US client project, our
client team keeps on visiting India to see things more closely. So last year,
client company’s the toughest person
visited us. Jeremiah is the engineering VP of the client company. He is known for his
rude nature and arrogance. Before he landed in India, the whole offshore team
(that includes me) was given instruction about how to talk, how to ask a question and how to reply his queries. My India
managers didn’t want to give any chance to Jeremiah to question over team’s
capability and work ethics. His visit was planned for a week and the whole week
went under pressure. Jeremiah called back to back meetings and discussions. The team was in fear of his questions. Although
he tried to be friendly with bringing cakes for the team, still his way of
talking was so blunt that people from the offshore team couldn’t connect to him
much.
On Jeremiah’s last day of the visit, which was Friday and coincidentally Janmastmi, a team party was
being organized. This was to say goodbye
to him. I denied for the party because it was coinciding with my son’s daycare timings. Thankfully my office provides
daycare for kids, so I take my son with me every day there and we stay close to
each other. My son’s daycare span ends at 5 PM and the party was planned from 3 PM to 8 PM. My manager tried his best to convince
me for the party but I gave him the reason
of my son being in daycare. He then suggested taking my boy along in the
party and that seemed to me a fair deal. I thought
this way my boy would also get a chance to enjoy. He loves dancing and Indian music,
especially Punjabi numbers.
So, we both mother and son reached the party venue with my other teammates and the party finally started with some ice breaking activities and quiz. I was 50% in team activities and 50% around my son. I was making sure he was not bored, hungry or tired. I kept on giving him snacks so that he could stay with me during those team games which were of no use for him. I must say that he is a jolly baby. He remained calm during the party and even enjoyed whatever way he could. Jeremiah was noticing me and my son. Then suddenly he got injured and quickly I gave him a Band-Aid which I had handy in my son’s diaper bag. I also made sure he needed any other medical help.
This small incident changed his behavior towards me. My
motherly instinct left a good impression on
his heart. I and Jeremiah are good friends from that day. He cares for my late night calls and family time. I really
felt happy when he mentioned, during an activity, that he found me a ‘Tough’
person who is able to manage work and kid with giving equal importance. If you
ask me, the reason of his changed heart, I would say it’s our Indian culture
and family ethics. In our country, a child is everything for a mother. She can forget to remember God once, but she can never
forget to wish well-being of her child.
These values automatically are imbibed in me and that’s why I don’t find
interest in any such thing that can affect my son. For example that party. I
found it worth going there only when my son was with me. We Indian mother are
programmed to love our kid to a deep emotional level. As per the book “Cultural
Variations in Psychopathology”, Indian mothers preferred to confront the child
whereas the majority of German and US mothers expected the child to express his
or her needs first. The book also says that Indian mothers are more sensitive and
proactive towards childcare. I also feel
being an Indian mother, gives me the confidence to put everything aside (even
the demanding boss) and focus on my son.
It’s amazing that Indian values and belief made me a known face
in my client team. They freely talk to me and ask about my family. We have a
professional relationship but my Indian way of thinking, somehow, gives them
confidence to talk to me in more casual way. This is a success for me,
something which I got being an Indian mother. I can say that I am a working mother who is #MoreIndianThanYouThink.
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The time is not far when we will have to pay for bottled oxygen too. Thought provoking blogpost!
ReplyDeleteVery good blog
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