We’ve all admired, learnt and been influenced by our mothers. Their role in our lives goes far beyond raising us as children–we often turn to them for advice or think of what our mums would say and do in a situation and make our decisions accordingly. This Mother’s Day, we decided to turn things around and ask daughters who are inspired by their mothers to share one piece of advice for their mums. From asking them to slow down and relax to taking care of their health, here are eight strong, independent women taking a pause, reflecting on their learnings from their mothers, and giving them a piece of advice.
'One piece of advice that we must give our mothers is that age is just a number. It is never too late. So, if there is a dream that remains unfulfilled, it is time to stop shying away from it. Instead, she should reach out toward that dream because she is a rockstar who can still do it! She has whatever it takes.'
-Chinu Kala, Founder, Rubans Accessories
'What advice can I possibly give my mom?! She truly is a rock star. She always was at her best, be it her appearance, mood or parenting. We are three sisters and we are totally poles apart, but she made sure we all got what it takes to make us the best version of ourselves and achieve all our individual dreams. She, with all her multitasking, was still always available for us, emotionally and physically. I don’t have anything to tell her except for her to stay as she is.'
-Dr Rashmi Shetty, Celebrity Dermatologist, Founder and Creator, Sol Skin Corp
'One piece of advice I’d want to give my mom would be to take a backseat now. She raised her kids enough to take care of themselves, and I believe it's high time she lives her own life now. Have the time the society did not give her back then, go out for dates with papa, take a girls' trip, relax, take up new hobbies, and just be as free as possible! I would want her not to take care of anyone but love and enjoy herself. Be the 20-something girl who got married too soon!'
-Rajasi Jindal, Founder, Rajasi Jewels
'I would like to let my mother ease her uptight shoulders and ask her to rest from the daily hustle of thinking about us, the family. I also want to ensure that she talks about her current mental state to aid her mental wellbeing.'
-Chef Devashree Muni, Founder, Cocoa Cellar
'This Mother’s Day, I just have a simple message not just for my mother, but for all loving and affectionate mothers. Please attend to your health needs in time. Only if you are healthy will your family stay healthy and progress. Never overlook your physical and mental health.'
-Palak Midha, Founder, Palak Notes
'My mother is also my mentor, confidant and thought partner. My little words of advice to her are to have a better work-life balance. All her ‘breaks’ are currently on account of her travel for dance performances, which are very taxing and packed, and hardly qualify as holidays. I wish mom could take dedicated time off at regular intervals to unwind, reflect and relax. I would advise her to dedicate some time of the day for work/fun unrelated to dance and consciously use this time to not think about any aspect of her work. I say this because she is such an involved dancer-teacher and, at times, loses control of her ‘me’ time. Finally, she might also do well with short social media breaks, which I have found to be quite rejuvenating!'
-Sharanya Chandran, Development Economist, Dancer, Yoga Practitioner
'If I were told to give one piece of advice to my mother, then I would want her to pursue her long pending dream to start a business of her own. She always wanted to start a business, and now when I run my own company and help other mothers through our business models, I would like to help her too in starting up. It would be amazing if she starts taking time to pursue her dream and enjoy building something which she could not do during the crucial years of nurturing my dreams and aspirations.'
-Prerna Kalra, Co-founder, Daalchini Technologies
'Being a mom is one of the hardest titles to hold and one of the most rewarding. Trust your instincts and don't judge yourself through what other people have to say, do not be hard on yourself. Live for yourself, don’t worry about us. We are old enough to take care of ourselves and have learnt from the best. Do everything you love to do, watch old movies, go out with your friends, travel to the places you want to but could not because of our school and activities. Start gardening and singing to your plants. Read all the books which you bought and kept saying ‘I want to sit on a rocking chair and read them’. Try doing something new. Now is the time, mom, do everything for yourself.'
-Sheetal Shaparia, Life Coach and influencer