Vaccination and me – Yay!! India is polio-free

Child receiving polio vaccine. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 India was once the epicenter of Polio. Polio was carried on from India to even many African nations. In 1985 there were 150,000 polio cases and in 2010 it was at a historic low of 42. But today, as of 2012, India has been declared Polio free with not a single case of Polio having been registered in any of the Health centers. It really is a major task in a nation like India, which boasts of not only the nation with one of highest GDP ratio, but also of the second largest slum in Asia, which is a hotbed of so many known and unknown diseases. 

Immunization, commonly referred to as vaccination is a great wealth we can give our children as parents. Give them good physical health and mental health and they have the capacity to access the greatest wealth in the world. 

When I was asked a year ago by Jennifer Burden of the World Moms Blog if I would be interested in vaccination advocacy as part of Social Good, I said, ‘Why not?’ But ‘how,’ I thought. So, here I am writing about it as one of the first steps. Advocacy is easy. I firmly believe in protecting my son against certain killer diseases. More than a year ago he contacted Dengue fever and little did I know Dengue is life threatening until a fellow blogger’s daughter succumbed to it. It was shocking! I have no words to describe my feelings.

So, for those killer diseases for which there are vaccines protect your child. Give him a future where he is strong, has the capability to fight diseases. Give him that investment where his health is ensured. Vaccination advocacy is easy. The only requirement is your passion, your power to move people.

At GAVI, I was awed to see so many people so enthusiastic about this cause. The success rate in developing nations was stupendous. Check out the new vaccines they have rolled out in many African nations. I am so honored to be part of this passionate cause of securing the future health of a child.

Organizations like GAVI and Shot@Life rock! I urge more people like us with the power to write, with the power to influence people both with their presence in the virtual world/media (Social networking and blogs) and also through their field work to be part of such movements.

Who would have thought one day India would be Polio free? That is the only boost any Indian ever needs to start his pro vaccination campaign.

What are you waiting for? Voice your views

P.S: Ok, my next step in this would be to film a movie with the help of Jennifer Burden, Founder, Chief Editor, World Moms Blog, advocating vaccination . Yay!! Watch this space for more updates on that. If you want to be part of the movie in any way, drop us a note through the Contacts Page.

My passion won’t rest for now!!

 

Related articles

• India removed from WHO list of nations with polio (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Polio in India: How They Defeated the Virus (ibtimes.com)
• India Removed From WHO List of Nations With Polio (abcnews.go.com)
• Nigeria, Pakistan, Afghanistan nations with endemic polio (vanguardngr.com)
• India Celebrates First Year Without Polio (newsy.com)

Motherhood and being Cultured!

        

This post is dedicated to the one year Blogiversary of one of the most happening parenting communities, World Moms Blog.

I was asked to write about Motherhood relating to our Indian culture and link up with the World Moms Blog . In India I would say there are at at least 50 different cultures for every aspect. And the same and more apply to motherhood. Having said that, this post has nothing to do with any of the  specific 50 different cultures of India.

For me motherhood simply means worshipping my mother’s motherhood. I should say I have not much vocally appreciated her as much as I should be not only for bringing me up, but doing everything else and more for my son, her grandson.

Sculpture - "Motherhood" at St.Anne convent in northern Kentucky.

This is where it began. When I was pregnant I contacted Hepatitis-A, a viral infection and was down with jaundice. It was not specifically life threatening or problematic for the baby in womb (because of the placental barrier), but we all were so stressed mentally and emotionally. This was approximately during the 22^nd week. I was working 12 hours a day, designing the supposedly love of my life, car electronics. During that period I was living, 350 miles away from home.

The gynecologist and gastroentrologist advised complete bed rest until the day of delivery. I was very upset hearing this. I pleaded, I coaxed, that I work at least after a month’s rest. I was feeling completely fit and fine. But for whatever reasons God chose, I was back at my parents’ home relaxing and enjoying all the remaining 5 to 6 months of pregnancy. I was eating home cooked food by the world’s greatest cook (mom), being pampered and cared and just plain killing time reading books, researching pregnancy and stuff over the internet. The DDH used to visit me over the weekends at my parents’ place. [**I have not really thanked him enough for letting me stay on at my parents’ place indefinitely**]. And life was benevolent indeed.  

And then, one fine day I delivered a healthy happy crying baby boy and all was fine again in this mama’s world.

And I went back to work when DDS was 6 months old.

No day care, said the DDH. No nannies. No nothing. I was devastated. Apparently the DDH was a great fan of attachment parenting, and well, neither did I have the heart to send him to a day care to strangers. I mean, yes, I know there are so many wonderful care centers and I am not being judgmental. Having said that, I just felt I needed my little boy to be with people he knew, he was biologically related to.

So, super woman aka my mom, aka my son’s grand mom stepped in to the rescue. She traveled 350 miles away from her home, stayed with us, away from her husband and her son and took care of DDS while I worked away ‘happily’ at the car electronics typing away software codes for the automatic power steering.

Now, my dad visited us during the weekend to be with his wife, my mom and with all of us, his family. And oh, my brother sacrificed being with his mom too, because he was just entering college, and needed her emotional support. But the neediest was the baby, so my mom devoted her entire time, energy and thoughts to baby. We stayed in this arrangement for at least 5 years when we decided I would quit work because mom had to go back home, for her own personal reasons.

But the point is, my mom put up with a 25-year-old, grown up, pregnant, moody, lazy, physically unwell woman (me) for half a year, an ignorant mom (me) for another half-year and then she stayed away from her family, her husband and her son for 5 full years. I can not really thank my father and brother enough for letting me have her fully. She did all this for her grandson. Her idea of motherhood which can not be defined in any words except by retelling this story is just my idea of motherhood.

Culture is also refinement, culture is also being civilized, culture, my father always says, is doing what is best and correct for the moment and living life the way, God would later say, Ah, I am proud of you, my child. Isnt that how culture must have evolved in any society?

So, I am blessed to have parents who are cultured and who tried their best to imbibe that in my brother and me.

And this post celebrates that woman, who is the best mother in the whole world.

Some day, I hope my son says that too.

 

This article is part of the World Moms Blog Link-up

Go ahead, click the above button and view all posts written by mothers all around the globe participating in the World Moms Blog link up! I encourage the reader to also participate by writing your own post under the topic, “Motherhood, culture and myself” and show your support for the most celebrated feeling, “motherhood” by ‘liking’ and commenting on my and all posts.

CALLING ALL BLOGGERS!: Our “Blogiversary” Link Up Nov. 2, 3, and 4th! (Updated!)

CALLING ALL BLOGGERS!: Our “Blogiversary” Link Up Nov. 2, 3, and 4th! (Updated!).

The World Moms Blog is celebrating its first birthday. Come, be part of the blogiversary, write your own posts about motherhood and culture and link up those posts with us. Click the above link and read the details.

There are surprise gifts to be won too. And more than that, this is your best chance to be featured on the famous World Moms Blog website.

Spread the love; share what it means to be a mother.

Love,

The Alchemist!

A proud mommy blogging today

The Apple Tree

 

India: The Idea of Competition.

My latest post is published up there at WorldMomsBlog today. Please go ahead, read it and congratulate my son for winning a prize in the story telling competition  :)  lol

Oh yea, proud mommy blogging here

SAHM vs. Working-Mom

INDIA: My Decision: SAHM vs. Working-Mom.

Please click the above link. Oh yes, that is my next post at WMB.

Ok, go ahead, read it and leave your comments there at WMB 

Thanks guys!

My brush with fame

 

INDIA: Interview with The Alchemist.

The Alchemist and her son

So guys, I am almost a celebrity. Well, not really. But, my interview got published there on WorldMomsBlog.com.

It actually feels good. That is one place I really love. Writing about being a mother and the parenting sagas is really a wonderful way to keep up a memoir.

Getting interviewed by WorldMomsBlog sure was fun. Go ahead, click and read my interview.

You are welcome to leave your comments and thoughts on WorldMomsBlog site.

INDIA: My “It Happened” Moment

INDIA: My “It Happened” Moment.

Thats my latest post at World Moms Blog. Go ahead, click it, read it and leave comments at World Moms Blog.

This summer we go swimming…

INDIA: Entertaining Kids During Summer Holidays.

Well, go ahead click the above link and read what DDS is doing this summer. That is my next post for WorldMomsBlog.
To read all my posts at WorldMomsBlog, click here. ( http://worldmomsblog.com/author/myworldrevolvesaroundyou/)

Your comments and feedback are most welcome here and there also

My first post at WorldMomsBlog

So guys, there I wrote my first post at WorldMomsBlog. You can read it here. It was about my feelings when we came to know DDS needed to wear glasses. hush.. I would say no more. Now, off you go there and read it all up and leave your comments. And yes, I blog there under the name of “The Alchemist”.

http://worldmomsblog.com/2011/02/09/india-in-the-eyeglasses-of-the-beholder/

A career woman turned homemaker.

Do you remember the day I quit my job? The day I actually officially gave my resignation letter? I wrote about it here. And the day I wrote about my feelings about the trigger? Well, I have come a long way from there.

There were a lot of people who judged me, who said I was right and some who said I was wrong. I do not know if I was right or wrong, but well, in time, this would not matter. Any decision would have been almost the same philosophically. And these judgments would prove inconsequential. In the larger scheme of events, what does it matter? But what about me as an entity? As a person and as a mind and soul with a heart?

I know of women who have the greatest attachments and pride in their career, their financial security and their title as an independent woman. I don’t for a moment think they are wrong to be that way. In fact it is their personal choice and their frame of mind which makes them think so. But I am not that and I don’t intend to be so too. But I also know a few others who are very fiercely independent and high in the rungs of their career but are forced to be there for any number of reasons. I know of an ex-colleague whose husband told her that he wanted a wife with a high profile career and that at no point in her life should she feel she can let it go for the sake of ‘family’ or her ‘child’, though she said she would do anything to be in my current shoes of a happy homemaker. I can only sympathize with her. I at least have a generous husband than that who thinks I can do what I want with my life, but it is entirely my responsibility to do so.

But my priorities are very clear. I need to give the utmost attention to my toddler, to his formative years, to his upbringing and no one can take up that position and only those who think similarly would really understand my thoughts.

You know, I have never really understood feminism in the words of the world. What reason a woman has to prove that she is equal to a man?  Sometimes I feel a woman is superior in many different other ways and it really belittles a woman to prove she is equal to a man. The men who are reading this blog, please don’t get me wrong. I am trying to say that nature bestowed in woman the physique to be fertile, bear and allow progeny and care for young ones. It gave women a softer heart. It gave women more power to tolerate. I say tolerate here, because the pains and pleasures of nine months of child bearing, laborious process of birth, patience in upbringing, love, bonding and lessons of the heart are all better understood and taught to future generations by a woman alone. And doing one’s duty, one’s intuitive duty in fulfilling womanhood, in being truly feminine, is her first priority.

So, for me feminism is all this, rather than trying to say, I can be a CEO too or I can be a Prime Minister too, though if you can do all this and not compromise on any of these and still hold the flags of respective positions, so be it. You are highly skillful, multitaskable and almost god to be omniscient.

But what about money? What about a career at a later stage in my life? What about the cost of this break? I understand I cant have the same career I had. But do I really want to? When I think about it, I feel that chapter in my life is over and I have evolved beyond the stressful life of a software engineer who slogs for twelve hours a day for money and social pride. I mean, I needed the money back then, I got it. I would still need it as long as I keep getting it. Know what I mean? As and when we are dispensed of certain resources, we lose their use. I don’t say I have no use for money. But I have learnt to be more frugal than I earlier was. I don’t eat out. Maybe, not as much. I don’t splurge money on the demons called “auto-rickshaws”, we travel wisely and avoid it mostly, which is good, we have also become innovative with using just one car and traveling only when it is available and walking the other times. It is not that hard, really. I don’t buy as much clothes. I also don’t buy so many clothes and toys for my toddler. I really don’t understand why I bought so many things which I really did in the past. It is like I have stopped spending money from my bank account which is really not there. I am not an advocate of any “stop consumerism” group. I am just trying to say that to live simply is a very satisfying thing at the end of the day. You know, like reinventing the wheel again and again.

Of course the DDH has a job and he provides for his wife and child. But you know, the concept of second income is welcome, but if it has to be forsaken, it can be done so happily too.

And at the end of the day, I am happy, and yet again, some say I am being childish saying I am happy being a homemaker and what about all the education, the post graduate engineering degree? Well, what can I say? I thought I wanted a high profile career, I worked for it. I almost got there. But somewhere along the journey, I decided to switch lanes because my heart belonged in the other lane. A certain friend on FB had posted sometime ago the difference between the heart and the mind. I mean, my mind would still be working as a project leader in some leading American Vehicle Design company. But the heart belongs very much physically near to the heart of DDS, at home right now. Perhaps, when he has to go to school full time next year, I would think of ways to keep myself occupied and pine meanwhile.

But for now, to quote DDS, “Be at home with me because I like you”. What simpler reason could there be for this decision and I am glad I am here now than later.