Wow. I don’t know how long I’ve waited to write a tribute to my mama.
I was a less than average student who wanted to drop out of middle school. Today, at age 30, I have a postgraduate education and an attitude of lifelong learning.
Gazala Tarannum Shaikh, a woman I’m lucky to call mother, made this possible.
To paraphrase Drake, I started at the bottom, now I’m here. And I owe it all to her love, grit, and encouragement.
To know how she did it, read my latest SheSapiens article Confessions Of A Bad Student: I Owe My Education To My Mother
For the record, I want to clarify that I’m not one to glorify degrees and big educational institutions. One shouldn’t even shell out big wads of cash to get an education. But this does not mean one should be ignorant. Whether your education is online or offline, from a renowned university or from a local institution, learning is crucial. Because knowledge is power. It helps you figure out your interests, even your place in the world.
And in my case, learning taught me discipline and failure built my resilience. Both are helping me pursue my dream of living an authentic life, no matter how hard it gets.
Hi Mahevash,
I am not a stellar student myself and have made decisions that were an impediment towards my academics. My mom and dad have both been pillars through and towards my academic achievement and this is indeed God’s blessing. I found out your blog on HealthyPlace website, Does Victim Mentality Play a Role in Depression? and I found it very thought provoking post. Thank you for sharing your views on victim mentality as I myself suffer from it as well. I think the way to tackle it would be as you said that others are suffering from it too so we just can’t make it about ourselves. I really enjoy reading your blogs as there many things I can relate to. Thank you for making this world a beautiful place through sharing your muses and providing a platform to start a convo on mental health. God bless you and always be there for you. All the very best!
Hi Yasmin, I’m so glad to hear my writing resonated with you — and that your parents are supportive. Thank you, keep reading, and happy new year :)
Heartwarming. Your mother seems awesome.
Love love love this! More power to your mom ✊