Settle for less ?

 

In India where still having only girl child is a matter of concern for parents and society , I was born lucky to take birth in family where my parents were happy with two girl child and did not attempt the third one for the sake of boy. I never realized how fortunate I was until I became adult and entered the society full of narrow thoughts of how bearing a boy is such big deal.

My parents never made me settle for less just because I was a girl and my security should be concerns as I see many families do. My parents always allowed me for all the school trips, later on college trips and later on independent trips with my friends .I were always given full freedom in my life though I never took that freedom for granted and did not break their trust.

As a parents of girl child, what they do for their daughters is complete selfless. Because of the the typical mindset of society they still lead their life with no expectations of getting back from the girl child especially once they get her married and so do my parents. They made my sis and I educated, we got into well settled and decent jobs and got us married to the boys of our choice. There also they fully supported us.

Once I got married I understood why society need “a boy child” so much , because their so called norms doesn’t give girls the same freedom a boy has to take care for their parents even though her parents did no less for her. When every parents wait for their child to come home on Diwali , they don’t expect that also since Indian society says a girl should celebrate festivals with in laws.

I bow my head to all such families who took this stand in their life and gave society a new direction.

India has come long ways on changing the old norms but some things are still not changing.

I ask, when our parents could bring such change in society where girls are being independent and their parents are playing the key role, why settle for norms which asks their parents to settle for less?