The Ordinary Woman

I have known her for many years. She had been working in the Housekeeping department of a University campus not far from our place. Her grandson is just a few months old. Prior to his birth they came to know that he had a hole in his heart. Next month he will be having an operation. In spite of all these worries I have not seen her lose her presence of mind. She and daughter, son-in-law and families have accepted what has come their way and are facing the health problem of the baby with a very positive attitude. She is a strong person and a pillar of strength to her family. The baby is fine and I am sure after the operation he will better and lead a healthy life with the love and care of the families.

Listening to her I was reminded of the book,‘My Journey’ by Dr Abdul Kalam. We are indeed lucky to have had a person of his calibre as one of our Presidents. In this book he writes about the smaller, lesser known happenings in his life. Smaller but very significant.
He has written these wonderful words about his mother and sister.
“Two of them together symbolize for me the resilience and
resourcefulness of the ordinary Indian woman. This woman is a
person who cannot be cowed down too long by her circumstances.
Often she goes through life without recognizing her own dreams
and ambitions. Where are her own dreams, I wonder? Destiny,
tradition, situations will test her again and again…Yet, she will
find a way… and she will do it with such love that it will inundate
your heart.”
I think this is true for ordinary women all over the world.