A World View

Growing up, I never understood when people spoke about gender inequality issues or women oppression. Even when my mother used to tell me, you have to be strong, fierce and stand up for what you believe in; I just assumed it was because I was her child and it was duty to empower me. This might sound like a very sheltered childhood or just plain naivete. But instead, I choose to believe that it was my mother showing me how to get the world we dream of, instead of just showing me for what it was.

Like myself, she was the only female child in her nuclear family. Though supportive, my grandparents were hesitant to let her move away from home for her studies. But she fought for herself and lived for 5 years in a hostel, all the while earning to pay her room and board. A few years after she got married, she had to leave work to care for my brother and I. But she adapted to her new situations like a champ (if I do say so myself.)

Ever since we were kids, she encouraged us to do whatever our little hearts desired. She would run around the whole day taking us to a bunch of different classes. She was never too tired for another trip to the library or an emergency stationery run. No homework question was too hard and no hobby was too frivolous.

She'd always say to me, "You can be whatever/whoever you want be." But as I grew up it changed to, "You can be whoever you want be, as long as it's not me." It would break my heart to hear her say that, nevertheless I understood what she meant. Though she'd never regret her lifestyle change, she'd never want that for me. She's always wanted more for me; more than she ever got.

Whenever I'd feel down or frustrated about something, she'd say, "My little lioness, be brave and you can handle anything." Coming from such a strong woman, who gave up her entire life to shape two lives that were just starting out, it means the world to me. I can only wish that if I'm ever faced with quandaries in whatever that I do, I show half the strength as this amazing woman in my life has shown.

In conclusion, (at the risk of sounding anti-feminist) I'd say that it was her strength that shaped my world view; believing that instead of teaching kids that a woman was someone who needed to be uplifted, she was someone who was never inferior in the first place.