I've been accused of being a hard core feminist. I've been convicted enuf number of times to be taken away to that vaginal prison of my complex race. | Dn't go wrong. I, like others do blush beetroot red over some gallant soul who opens the door or pulls out a chair for me, and I have discovered, much to my jaw-dropping (Ally McBeal ishtyle) horror,that the xy chromosome is capable of far more than the superfluous xx variety.
Despite such such heart-breaking thruths, I am a feminist and will always be one. Not the bra-burning, head-shaving, dam-saving kind, or the more gentle, but a certain unique little kind of my own.
I don't know what you'd call us - the modest tribe of feminists. We have never made any huge statements so far. We've always been silent and honestly we don't know what great deeds we've done to deserve all this all-encompassing. But we have all agreed to wear the badges and bake inevitable cookies, and being literate, we all know what this much-spoken-of label means.
Yes, we are harmless. Animals that need not be caged.
Here's the argument that is conclusive. We don't bother to fight for our so-called rights. Only because we've always thought we were superior - or equal, except those of us with inherently low self-esteem.
Birthright.
Welcome to India. We have cows on the street, people who spit into the roads, children running naked on streets. Have we not learnt to live with it? What's more is that we take pride in it. We like to brag about our rich culture and our heritage.
Our ancestry is our country’s claim to fame. The intelligence and foresight of our predecessors.We’ve all heard tales of the Ramayana and the Mahabharatha from our teachers in school and our grandparents.
And then the other two great epics of the world come from Greek lore. The Iliad and the Odyssey, for the illiterates. They’re all tales of battle and heroes. Of massive slaughter and reconciliation. And each of them revolve, in some way or the other around women. Battles for women, battles wrought by women. Even mythology to great extents speaks of wars of impressively great in size for women.
Draupadi insisted on the Kurukshetra massacre, Sita - the epitome of virtue, pure and flawless, whose beauty enticed Ravana and caused him to abduct her. The Trojan War - waged for one all-powerful woman and finally the batte of Penelope - the faithful wife who refused to marry another man. One more battle for one more woman.
And my point is....Women who were perfect, and women who were less so. In some way or the other they have caused conflict; they were the center of it all. Womanhood – powerful and irresistible. At the end of the day, no matter what is said and done, the world revolved around them.
In some incomprehensible way, they really wrote history.
And we are still fighting for women’s rights?
![]()
From Nappies to Skirts
From braids to ponytails
From High School to College
This journey might seem short but there is a bare truth that has gone inside it.
Parents welcome their little princesses in this world assuring them of a pampered childhood and a pleasant life ahead.
Am currently reading the autobiography of Protima Bedi - Time Pass. Her daughter had completed the preface and she had clearly expressed how she went into a whirlpool of gloom when her mother's boyfriend had spoken to her of sexual favours. The lady who possess a high glam quotient , didn't know how to react then. I am amazed at her honesty, since I've never come across anyone who are open to discuss their unpleasant childhood memories (if they've had any!).
I know girl who lived adjacent to my friend's place. She is ten something and the twinkle in her eye can make any person smile. She's a storyteller (talks like one!) - and I enjoy listening to her stories and poems. It was one day when I and my friend were leaning against the window chit-chatting that we saw her playing with the building watchman. Under the pretex of a game that man had something else in mind. We alerted her mother who then caught him off guard. Random thoughts started to run in my mind. From these random thoughts,coherent thoughts emerged. What cud have been her plight? What cud have been the long-term impact on her? |  This is an area that is being ignored and one one wants to talk of it. Somethings are better left unsaid. Child abuse can have severe effects. Typically, most children who go thru child abuse exhibit behavior problems ranging from separation anxiety to posttraumatic stress disorder. | A survey conducted by the National Center for PTSD (Posttraumatic stress disorder) sited that one out of every five girls is sexually child abused. We can’t deny the fact that it is not happening; it is happening and it is happening around us. We need to be very careful - Pedophiles can be around the corner. Studies of childhood sexual abuse, define childhood based on age range that may be in adolescence too. Children who are victims of improperly intimate r'ships are worst hit. Brother-sister incest is reported to be more common than the next common (step)father-daughter incest. I have read of such crazy facts, which are ridiculous but imagine the impact they leave on a child's psyche. I don't say that it is the parent's responsibility to impart knowledge on their children of good touch or bad touch. Let children know that they have the right to prevent the wrong gestures. We need to tell them that authority does not mean to obey everything what those in authority tell them to do. We need to develop strong communication skills which would encourage them to talk openely of their experiences. We need to explain to them the importance of reporting abuse. So, the next time you sing Que sera sera- what will be, will be to your child, remind yourself - the Future is ours to see!
 Watching the rain drops drip slowly off the leaves makes a wonderful times pass. It makes you stick your neck out to let it fall on your nose and gently run down to the lips and then welcoming them into your mouth with the tip of your tongue. They fall one at a time or in constant stream when it rains heavily caressing your face. | Each pearl of sadness or of joy intermingled with each other...like passing moments of life. They just keep falling..not waiting for anyone...in a crazy mad rush to break into so many of the same and then to reunite to become the same one again....splitter...splatter..ripples echo the distant voice of a mother warning her child to not venture out in the rain..more of them fall...I want to be washed in it...I want to hear all those voices...all of them that I haven't heard before..voices from a far away dream land.  I want more..these single drops are vehement denunciation in this land. I want to submit to the urges..drench and drown in his arms...drown in the voices...shower me in all the whiteness that stretch as fas as my eyes can see...I want to be dissolved in all the richness that could have been..I want to do a joyous dance in the celebration of these drops... | I don't want them shattering like this on earth. I want them to go against the norm...I them to stay on my arms..I want them to cleanse me off all my sins. The last drops are hanging on the leaves. They let go off each other to land in the puddle. I stretch my neck out for one last time so that a drop falls on my nose tip and then to my lips again.... it falls on to my eyes.. where dream starts, where reality ends, so many yesterdays..... and the passing today....I can see my life passing by..I want to make it stop. I paint a wonderful smile on my face. I am smiling, preparing to laugh. The last drops fall from the leaves....*plop*
There are various parameters one keeps into consideration while trading in the Stock Market. Experts advise that the best investment candidates are stocks that have already outperformed the market.
How good is the company? Do the stocks have have room to run? Can you make money on it? How much would be your return on equity (ROE)? What business is the company into? What is the potential for future growth? What is the stock's current valuation?
If Bollywood/Hollywood stars were stocks you could invest in, which one would you buy? And why?
Share your views.
"You really can't prove that you love me more than I do!". But that was a nice try, tho'!, she said.
"What would you gimme if I do prove it?", asked he.
"Depends on how successful you are at proving it." came a reply.
"Nopes!You can't expect me investing my time in something that does not give me results on the outset. It isn't fair!", he shot back.
This is one of the several mundane conversations that Saurabh and Shurti had subjected themselves to. Today if they were made to hear these same conversations, they would swear that it wasn't them. Their denial, apart from all other reasons, would be mainly due to the fact that it made them remind of the bottom line - 'Once upon a time' they were madly in love with each other (or they thought so that way!).
Love to Shruti was the celestial blissful state that made everything in her world wonderful. To Saurabh it was that wonderful feeling he felt below his stomach. To Saurabh, making Shruti happy was an easy route to making it in bed, which was the only reason he left no stone unturned to keep her happy. For Shruti, seeing Saurabh happy was like living in heaven on earth. Saurabh, cried for every moment he wasn't with her. Shruti, cried for every second she spent away from him.
This way, however pretentious or selfish, you can see that they were completing each other. These beautiful feelings kept them aimless in the tumultuous relationship they were in.
It was that one afternoon that changed it all. That one afternoon Shruti would neva forget, even if she wants to. It is this afternoon that Saurabh would neva want to remember. Unlike in the movies, there was no swirling storm that was about to creat havoc nor were there gusty winds blowing their heads off. It was a silent Sunday afternoon.
Shruti looked stern. Her face was rigid. She looked as if she had come prepared for a court room trail of Saddam Hussain.
"Who was that woman with you in the cafeteria last evening?", she asked.
"She was soooooo HOT. Wasn't she?. Well, no one dahling, a new copy-writer. She's currently freelancing. If they like her work, she'll be hired for a permanent position. There is no reason for fear. You start worrying once she's hired.", said Saurabh.
"I can't live in this constant fear of loosing you. You say you love me, which should not make you oogle out to any other female that your eyes catch?. Every moment, I have this fear, 'What if he likes his colleague Preeti more than me'? 'Does he find Shruti more admirable than me'? I just cant take this anymore, I have to know for sure that you love me more than anything else in this world!”. Shruti could not control the mountain of emotions that were flooding her heart.
"Oh! C'mon my sweetie-pie. You know I love you more than a date with Bipasha Basu, which means I really love you a lot!!. Trust me Shruti. If I am oogling out at other woman, is it not because I want them more than I want you. It is not because I am not satisfied with you. You can tear my heart apart and see, how much I love you!", said Saurabh trying to convince her as much as he can.
"Bull Shit! I know that it is not true. I know you are saying this 'cause there is an excitement inside you and you want to do what you normally do to see the excitement sink in", quipped Shruti.
"Ok! Ms. James Bond, if you've kinda figured it out, can we get started?", quizzed Saurabh with a mischevious smile.
"This is the damn problem with you. All you ever think of is this. You neva think of marriage, committment, children and a life together", replied Shruti.
"Cool it. Mother India. Wait, you said marriage. Wht's my age? No one gets married at my age for Chrissake!!", said Saurabh.
"My father was married when he was two years younger to your present age", said Shruti.
"That was the 60's!! Grow up, Shruti. That was a time having a Cricket team in your house was a matter of pride. It was a time when we had no I-pods, no computers and no television. You are speaking of primordial times!! What is the harm if two adults want to spend time with each other when they love one and another minus the chains of matrimony?", reasoned Saurabh.
Like all say, reason is a thing unknown to a female mind, and Shruti was no different. She chose to not see the subtle hint in the crystal clear thought(s) of Saurabh, and decided to stick to her indirect proposition.
She proposed him. For marriage. She didn't do it in the most romantic of ways, not to mention the absence of the word "sweet" in her sentence. But she did what only a few wimmen dare to do.
Saurabh: "Well, if it's marriage what you want, then we both want different things from each other. I am sorry I cannot continue the r'ship further."
Shruti was taken aback. The sound of her world that always made her feel real was getting on her nerves. She wanted to be alone. She just couldn't stand this any longer.
She was hating him. She couldn't stand the sight of him any longer. She coudn't believe that Saurabh thought most about what was the last thing on her mind. She coudn't stand the sight of the man who was giving up the life long partnership for purely phyiscal bliss.
She understood that Saurabh was not a man to mend a car that wud not run. All he ever wanted was to drive the car, without having to take care of it.
In seperation, their feelings were complementary.
---------The End---------
My note:
It's so difficult to say who was wrong. Although on first reading you mite think that it is the MAN who is to be blamed. If you were to release urself from all socio norms and religious grip, would you take the man's side?
We give a lot of credit to mothers around the world for the way she brings up her child(ren), for the way she functions as the heart and soul of the family - as the hand that rocks the cradle. We forget the Leader, the man of the house, and the Ace of all cards - the FATHER.  Yup, God has made Father's too. The other side of the nuturing act for all families everywhere. Fathers are the Captain of the ship, a provider and a mentor all rolled into one. His diligence provides food for survival, shelter above our heads, books for our education, clothes for our bodies and medicines when sick. As the Head of the family, he takes us through rough waters, soothes our ruffled feathers and charters our life to a bright future with the wisdom and experience he has gained. | I have friends who hate their fathers - because their fathers were absintees for most of times while they were growing up. Their fathers never connected or related to them, and had set up a Hitler's regiment in the house, which was strictly adhered to. Such were their fathers. But, aren't father's humans too? It doesn't mean that all fathers are that way - insensitive and unnerved. Each one of us have some or the other flaw in character. So - even parents are not perfect. But it doesn't change what I write here.  I salute all fathers - worthy tools in the hands of God meant for our nuturing. It is due to my father's strong hands I learnt to ride my first cycle and play ball. He fixed the broken leg of my doll and was awake the entire night taking care of me while I was ill. He's so cool except when we are in trouble. He becomes a nervous wreck then.  Fathers are one side of the nurturing act, mother's holding the other end. They alleviate us from our troubles, help us make the right choice about our ambiguous future, jointly or seperately in their respective ways. While the mother is the heart and soul of the family, the father takes the role of the head. He provides us with all amenities and creates such an amiable enviorment which enables us to love, live and grow. I thank GOD for blessing us with fathers. Tell your father you love him. It's Father's Day on 18th June. God bless them all.
No matter how independent, strong-willed and audacious we are, or believe ourselves to be, the people we choose to include in our lives can make or break us.
Another lesson learnt today.
"Why does everyone in the "society" makes a big deal about having sex before marriage"?, Amit says.
"Do you feel that pre-marital sex is a question of morality, self-restraint or of sin"?, He continues.
"No. There has to be a more objective approach. Sex just for fun and without responsibility is something I don't encourage.", I told him.
He says he's had a physical relationship with his girlfriend and it got them closer. They spent a lot of time together and learnt to listen to each other a lot more. He believes that sex before marriage can be beneficial and that sexual compatibility contributes a long way to a happy and a complete marriage. He says, technically it is right for people to say that love is more important than sex, but people who claim that they could have a happy marriage without being sexually compatible with their partner is just not being true to him/herself.
My say on this topic is that most people say that waiting for marriage will make sex much better, and that if you are not a virgin at the time of ur marriage, you are taking away something meant specially for your spouse. I want to know the 'reasoning' behind this. My argument is that anyone who has waited till marriage to have a sexual relationship has no reason for comparisonm, because they don't know that their feelings for sex with their partners would be any different had they engaged into pre-marital sex. I don't know what constitutes a marriage more - making love or being in love? . I find it hard to believe that if you are not a virgin when you are married means you and your spouse cannot share a beautiful thing. Instead I tend to believe that the reason behing waiting for marriage is just to avoid mistakes such as pregnancy. I believe that if you are truly in love, then there is nothing wrong in expressing your feelings by the art of touch. I am not advocating premarital sex per se. I am just saying I don't need a piece of paper to remind me who I love!
How many of you agree with abstinence of sex until marriage?. I do want to understand your thoughts on this. Do comment. Mebbe I am missing something that others are seeing so clearly.
I, like all others, too have a begining.
The entire world celebrated the day I was born. That day, till today is cherished as that of love, happiness and dreams. Ok, now please stop giving me that "Niks,-don't-blow-your-trumpet" look.
Mum says it was a calm and quite evening compared to the calamity they thought was in store. The earth did not shake, volcanoes did no erupt and neither did the tsunami wipe away lives to mark the fiasco that occurred on that Summer of '80.
To watch the sonograpy of their unborn child gives utmost joy to all expectant parents. My parent's picture perfect view of their innocent baby cuddling in the womb came crashing. And it exacerbated when they were informed that I was topsy-turvey. I am not talking of my twisted brains which look like entagled spaghetti, if you were to do an x-ray; I mean that I was born upside down. I gave momma lotsa complications before birth - and the legacy has continued till date :-).
That's how mum carried me for 9 months - upside down. And, finally on this day I decided to make a grand entry into this world. After being taken out of the womb, all bloody and wrinkled, I posed as a Angelina-Jolie-on the-beach and made sounds that was music to all male doctors. I saw the purest form of love-at-first-sight in my father's eyes, when he took me in his arms for the first time.
That's how my journey started in this world. The 26 years that have followed have been emphasized by events, mostly unexpected, which form the basic essence of my life.
Some people in the world are damn damn lucky. And after having sucha wonderful birthday, I can say I am amonsgt them. Wouldn't had ever imagined that turning 26 would be so satisfying and enjoyable. There are of course certain unfortunate events, and how I hope things had not gone wrong the way they did. There's nuthing I can do to reverse that, but I pray that things get better soon.
How I love birthdays. For all the remembrance, for all the love, care, affection, goodwill, warmth, happiness and GIFTS ;-)! Thanks a million for all those kind words and gestures, awesome cards, wonderful emails - all of which make me feel so precious.
P.S: A special note to 'A' and 'Sheetal' for sending me that pretty basket of flowers. It makes me realize how lucky I am to have you in my life; who makes sure that I get the things I like best on my birthday. Sweets, thanks a MILLION.
Our troubles are actually blessings in disguise. Each of you would agree with me that we learn the most from the difficult experiences. Have you ever wondered, why we, as humans spend so much of our lives focusig on the negative aspects of our problems rather than seeing them for what they are - Our greatest teachers.
Would we have the courage, wisdom and knowledge we possess had we not experienced the setbacks we've faced, the mistakes we made and the suffering we endured? We need to realize that pain is a teacher abd failure is the highway to success. You can never play the guitar without hitting a few wrong notes and you can never ride a bicycle if you are not willing to fall off it a few times. To qoute Patrick Overton, “When you have come to the edge of all light that you know and are about to drop off into the darkness of the unknown, Faith -- is knowing that one of two things will happen: There will be something solid to stand on –- or -- You will be taught to fly”.
I too, like most people have encountered my own share of pain while traversing this path of life. It;s during these testing times that I realized that character is shaped, not through life's easiest experiences, but during the toughest ones. It is only during life's most trying times that we discover who we truly are and the undying strength we have within us to over any obstacle. I quote Rainer Maria Rilke, whose words have helped me when life throws one of it's curves on me:
....have patience with everything that remains unsolved in your heart. Try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books written in foreign langauge. Do not now look for the answers. They cannot now be given to you because you could not live them. It is a question of experiencing everything. At present, you need to live the question. Perhaps you will gradually, without even notcing it, find yourself experiencing the answer, some distant day.
So there you have it. I do hope that in some way possible these words help you to see your troubles as blessings. May you be granted all the strength it takes to face your trials in life and come out with greater wisdom. :-)
Have a nice week ahead.
 Today is my friend 'P's Appy Budday. Here's wishing you a fabulous day and a nice year ahead. Happy Birthday gurl!!! Wishing you a Budday, That sparkles all day through, To brighten every moment, Exactly like you do.
I have read blog posts on people writing things about themselves from A-Z. It's marvellous to know people introspect so much to write 26 things about themselves. I decided to write A-Z about HIM. Ther one person who is closest to my heart and whose presence means the world to me.  Aesthetic are his ways of saying how much I mean to him,
Blissful I’m in his graceful company,
Charismatic is the way his eyes shine when he looks at me,
Disastrous would be life if it didn't have his essence,
Enduring is the look in his eyes - that spells 'forever' to me,
Facilitates the best outta me,
Give anything to have him and to love him as he deserves,
Helps me raise my chin up high so I can face the world,
I'd do anything to have him forever, always by my side, so deeply in love,
Joy is what I experience when he's next to me,
Kernel his eyes to my days start,
Light he is to my hard day,
Mesmerizes me - drawing me deeper towards him, |  Nights end with his embrace,
Oxygen for me every breath he takes,
Places a soft tune in my head and a smile in my heart too,
Queenly is the way I am treated by him,
Ravishing his royal demeanor,
Swimming through realms of vanity,
Together we shall always be; forever, | Ulterior he is in his every thought Virtuous in his every action Wonderful he makes me feel; makes my world go round Yearn to hear his voice, ZZoombie I've been, and never noticed.
Had a fantastic weekend. Thoda friends ke saath tp, Thoda Amit H. ke saath fighting, thoda saaf safai, ek aur dost ka wedding, ek motivational story, ek exhilarating conversation with 'H', ek aur shyam 'S' ke saath, ek sleepless night.  Aur lots of sleeping in the office on Monday. | What to do, I am like that only.
 Was going through the morning newspaper - the Bombay Times and was quite disgusted. Why?Because it's not the most alluring sight to see men and women in a few strips of cloth, baring everything that is, for the world to see while sipping your mornin' brew. It's not only in the newspapers. It's everywhere. In song sequences, posters, movies - they all give way to unrealistic, unhealthy portrayals of female sexuality, sexual health, and gratuitous female sexuality and nudity. | Why is it so mandatory to bare skin for a movie or a song to be on the top of charts? How does Paris Hilton stripping make her movie House of Wax (or any other) any more popular? It's not only in Hollywood? We are following them and are on our way in attaining the title of 'World-Leaders' in the field. Most teens, children as they call themselves Generation Next will snap back at you and looking down their noses explain that it's the most in thing to wear - the lesser the better. How does showing your cleavage in a pub or wearing skimpy outfits make you popular? And it's not only for wimmen here...there are a lot of men who parade around in all sorts that don't term as "clothing"!  I am not against wearing something "sexy", but when "sexy" comes close to being "nude", that's where I have the problem. Quote the Indian bare-it-all-woman, Ms.Sherawat, "Why should I hide my body when I've worked so hard on making it what it is today?"There's nothing to be ashamed of the human body. But is there a need to prove to the world that you have a marvelous body? | My research says that when the upper strata of the human brain is empty, people make use of such means to gain attention and attract crowd. I am not asking you to cover every centimeter of your skin, like it was done in the olden times, but why to resort to such means? Like everything else on this planet, a need for balance is required with respect to this issue as well. OR (tubelight just lit) are we trying to preserve the culture of our ancestors and hence resorting to leaves and scraps of clothing.
I grew up, like everyone else, on a healthy diet of comics - Winnie the Pooh, Dennis the Menace, Noddy, Casper the Friendly Ghost, Asterix and Charlie Brown. No one at that time and age, ever bother bothered about issues like racisim, child abuse and sexual harassment. We read them and enjoyed them. After I grew up, the same comics were read only when I was ill and in bed and Charlie Brown to a little girl I knew. There were ceratin people who decided to take a dark look at these funnies and came up with stuff that said that the characters in these comics were politically incorrect and rascists.
Where has the innocence of childhood vanished?
A couple of weeks ago, I was with a friend at a local mall, and he tried to speak to this cute little girl who came to him on all fours. For him, it was like talking to his own neice, almost the same age. For me, it was fun to see my buddy bend at his substantial middle to chat up with a two pony-tailed, chubby-cheeked, rhapsodic small child who could barely manage to be still. For others, it was something very ordinary. All Indians have an inborn love for small children and will go out of their way to be friendly and make an affectionate contact with them.
But it's an extremely different story in other parts of the world. Stay away from strangers - is the rule. Try to kiss an American baby or pat a British baby - none of whom you've ever met before - and the next you'll find yourself behind the bars with a lawsuit for sexual harassment. Children at a very young age are taught to beware strangers, ofcourse with some justfication. They are hardly allowed to play in gardens/playgrounds or any other public place without adult supervision.
Is this a good thing? Isn't this a loss of human innocence? Or is this the best possible way left, to keep your child safe?
 There's no emotion quite like that of holding your baby for the first time. Of seeing, hearing and feeling what you carried within you for nine months - a little being, small, vulnerable, wordless. That's when it occurs to her that life has changed irrevocably. That she is now responsible for life besides her own. Just whe the anxiety threatens to overwhelm her, her baby cries out. As she quickly turns to her baby; to take in her arms, the apprehension turns into acceptance. And finally, the woman turns into a MOTHER. She feels her baby is a great person to talk to  . About anything under the sun, for hours and hours on end. There she is, calling her baby by their name, telling her baby about mummy and daddy, and what a pretty baby he/she is. Pointing at things and explaining to her baby what they are. Asking her baby what they'll become when they grow up, or who her Price Charming / Princess would be. There is her baby, listening to solemnly to every word. Then, very seriously, her baby explains her view of life, the universe and everything: 'Goo-goo, ga-ga." She knows that expression very well. She should. It's the baby's. And now it's hers too.  Her little one has got it down pat - the eyes, the smile, everything. She realizes that she is teaching her little one more than she thinks. Her little one is watching her every move, learning how to behave in the world. It's funny at first. Then she begins to worry about what she is teaching her baby. That her baby is learning things he/she is not supposed to. Because the last thing she wants is that her baby turns out like herself.  It's natural for her to call out her baby by her name. And it's even more natural for her baby to not understand. One day, she'll call out to her baby. And her baby would turn his/her pretty little head to look at her. As if to say, "Yes, Momma; I'm here." She realizes that her baby has been slowly understanding that one familiar combination of sound refers to him/her. That her baby's just begun to discover his/her own identity. What she has now is no longer a little bundle of likes, dislikes, moods and quirks. It's a little person.  One day, her baby decides to make some travel plans. Accordingly, her little one disappears every time her back is turned. Crawling off to his/her next destination, criss-crossing the house, covering as much as twenty kilometers a day. Much to her concern. Her baby does not see the dangers she does. What if he/she bumps her head on the cupboard? Or crawls right off the bed? Or (heaven forbid!) crawls towards the stairs? That's when she finds herself taking on the next great motherhood role - the BODYGUARD. | After weeks of cruising along holding onto furniture, alternately standing up and falling down, the great day arrives. Her little one climbs to his/her feet.
And bravely, with a look of intense concentration on his/her face, he/she takes his/her first tottering steps into the world. Walking comfotably - if a trifle unsteadily - into her waiting arms. He/She has just achieved independent mobility, and their face glows. But for her the moment is bittersweet. Because it's the end of babyhood, and the begining of childhood.
She is a MOTHER. A word that means the world to ME.
