In the (rather short) course of my 20-year old life, I have had the pleasure of meeting quite a lot of people. Of course, some weren't a pleasure, but the most were, and a few of those are indeed memorable. However, there is one person who has left an indelible mark on my mind, and I would like to share her story now.
Lakshmi amma.
She was our household help for four years, until we moved to another locality. She was around thirty years old, and I hardly ever spoke to her, so most of what I know about her is from what my mom told me about her, and a bit of what I overheard when they were speaking.
She was married at a very young age to a much older man, which is not very uncommon especially in the poorer sections of the society. She later had four kids with him, three of whom are daughters and the youngest one is a son. She practically doesn't know about the whereabouts of her husband - he comes home once in a few days, and most of the time he's heavily drunk. Her body bears testimony to innumerable insults inflicted upon by her husband. Thus, she is faced with the responsibility of raising up her four kids all by herself.
Getting enough money for just the basic amenities is a struggle for many in India, and that's the one word that sums up her life - "struggle". She toils incessantly from morning to evening in a large number of houses, and works as a night-shift labourer after sunset. Above anything else, she is determined that her kids should never have to face a situation like hers, and therefore her first priority is to ensure that they go to school, no matter what hardships she may have to face for that.
For her single-minded resoluteness despite harsh circumstances, she sure is made of great.
This post was written for the indiblogger contest #madeofgreat. To know more, visit http://madeofgreat.tatamotors.com/
What do you think of Tata Motors' association with Lionel Messi? Do answer in the comments below!
Lakshmi amma.
She was our household help for four years, until we moved to another locality. She was around thirty years old, and I hardly ever spoke to her, so most of what I know about her is from what my mom told me about her, and a bit of what I overheard when they were speaking.
She was married at a very young age to a much older man, which is not very uncommon especially in the poorer sections of the society. She later had four kids with him, three of whom are daughters and the youngest one is a son. She practically doesn't know about the whereabouts of her husband - he comes home once in a few days, and most of the time he's heavily drunk. Her body bears testimony to innumerable insults inflicted upon by her husband. Thus, she is faced with the responsibility of raising up her four kids all by herself.
Getting enough money for just the basic amenities is a struggle for many in India, and that's the one word that sums up her life - "struggle". She toils incessantly from morning to evening in a large number of houses, and works as a night-shift labourer after sunset. Above anything else, she is determined that her kids should never have to face a situation like hers, and therefore her first priority is to ensure that they go to school, no matter what hardships she may have to face for that.
For her single-minded resoluteness despite harsh circumstances, she sure is made of great.
This post was written for the indiblogger contest #madeofgreat. To know more, visit http://madeofgreat.tatamotors.com/
What do you think of Tata Motors' association with Lionel Messi? Do answer in the comments below!
