Nor does she need long lustrous locks to shine.
She doesn't need flowing chiffon's to make her ethereal or the most expensive matte finish make up to make her gorgeous.
Does it matter if her hands are calloused?What if her clothes are old and worne?What if her hair is oiled and pulled back into a neat bun?
What if her shoes are functional?What if the smile on her face and the light in her eyes belay her inner pain and struggle?What matters is the dignity with which she bears her life.
The courage she has shown at the time of adversity.
The magnanimity she displayed when she gave away from her own meager savings to someone who needed it more.
Then she is indeed beautiful. This beauty is not skin deep. It is an eternal beauty of the warmth of a good woman.
And I know one just like that.
I love chatting and helping out the hired help. I find that if you work with them and are aware of their lives, families and friends , they are happy. They treat you as one of their own . They do better work and tend to be more loyal.
And I feel that as I know them better it works well.
Well ,I have two maids.
I know!
Lucky...in India, we can afford the services of maids.
One , the chatterbox ,is an old lady who does the dishes. She is the local gossip.
So , keeping up to her reputation, she informed me that my other maid ,Kamlesh , is quite hard pressed.
Kamlesh is a widow, her husband having passed away almost 8 years ago thanks to a drinking problem. She has three of her own children. Her husband's younger brother was killed while de boarding a running train. Consequently, the wife abandoned her two children and ran off.
Kamlesh could have chosen to do the same.
She , however, chose to bring them up as her own.
Her only asset is her one room house ,that had no bathroom. She cooks, cleans and washes clothes in three households to earn a living for her and her family. She has managed to add a washroom to her house so that her family is comfortable.
Her daughter suffers from seizures, and her own son works on and off in a garment store.
Thanks to the government schools, she has been able to educate all her children. Her adopted ones are still in school. She routinely attends the Parent teacher meets and ensures that the boys have all the school supplies they need.I teach in an elite school and I see mothers scoff at a teacher's advice and observations. But Kamlesh knows that an honest education is the only way towards a bright future.
In the two years she has worked for me ,she has never broken down because of the pressure of life. I have seen no greed, just a dignified acceptance of her "kismet".
Kamlesh has never said no to any work and most importantly, never 'bitched' about life.
Even when her son lost his job. Even when the adopted son was suffering from pneumonia. Even though she has to work so hard to sustain her self and the children.
She could have chosen to ignore the small boys.
But she brought up her children AND her nephews.
She could have chosen to crib or be miserable.
But she has chosen to be strong AND diligent.
She has chosen to be positive AND magnificent.
She has struggled AND she has Survived.
The road ahead may not be a bed of roses but she will be able to weed out the thorns AND walk with her head held high.
But she will not falter or fall.
A lesser man would've fallen, crouched on the ground and cried like a baby.
But she is Formidable AND Amazing.
She believes that she must #UseMyAnd and succeed .
She is someone worth saluting.
She is all woman.
“This post is a part of #UseYourAnd activity at BlogAdda in association with Gillette Venus“.
