Your community, an anecdote to mom guilt

At 8.20 am on Thursday, I got a call, “There’s been an incident at school and we are taking your son to the hospital.” My heart skipped a beat; in a split second I ran out of the door. My younger son had a small accident at school and escaped the incident with minor injury. At 10 am, we heaved a sigh of relief; he was advised three days of complete rest. God was kind. All was well.

But I spent the entire day in two minds. I was due to leave on Friday morning for Nashik. I was speaking at a renowned school, addressing students on how to do goal setting and creating awareness about screen time discipline. I also had planned the launch of WoW, my women’s community, in Nashik and a panel discussion for school principals. What was the right thing to do - should I cancel, or do I continue as planned? My mom brain took over and I lost all control over my guilt-management system.

I have the loving support of my entire family, my in-laws, my husband, my kids, all stand tall and tell me go, we are here. But my mind is saying something else to me.The truth is, motherhood doesn’t always expose our strengths first; it often exposes our insecurities. The quiet fear that we’re not doing enough, not getting it right, or that maybe we were never cut out for this. I knew my son was well, he was safe, but yet I felt guilty for prioritising my commitments.

Every mother I speak to seems to be carrying the same invisible weight - always comparing, questioning, and doubting. We feel the burden of society’s judgement. Will I be marked as a bad mother? Will I be judged for honouring my commitments? What will others say?It’s our insecurities as mums that hold not only our own daughters back too. If only we shed judgement and understood the other mother. If only we embraced her strengths and partnered with her in areas where she needs support.But the thing is, acceptance of another begins first with acceptance of self - and that builds from respecting oneself. Hence, invest in yourself. Learn, travel. The more you feel updated and relevant, the more you will value yourself. Empowered women empower other women.

The launch of WoW was a huge success. My girls from the community drove down to Nashik and took over. They stood by me every step of the way. I felt safe. My son was well taken care of at home. My mother-in-law made sure both the kids received all the love and care. My friends organised play dates to help keep them positively engaged.I am driving home after spending a successful weekend in Nashik. My success is actually my community of empowered women, who step up for each other and cheer the loudest when any one of us takes flight.