Gomathy is a retired teacher. She has only one son and her son has also only one son. Had she been possessive Gomathy could not have peace of mind. But she so understands that she takes care of her grandson from morning to evening until the time her daughter-in-law returns from office. She believes in spending all her time with her grandson. If she has to go outstation with her husband, she would leave the child with her ‘sammandhi’. The child gets the love of his grandparents, both maternal and paternal. The son and daughter-in-law both are very happy over this situation and in return, they shower their love and affection on both the parents. Kamali is another exemplary example for how a mother-in-law should behave. She never restricts her daughter-in-law in visiting her parents. She always feels happy when her son takes his wife out for an outing. She shares the household work with her daughter-in-law and above all, she never mistakes her moods of anger. She respects the rights of her daughter-in-law and allows her full freedom. Her daughter-in-law, who didn’t have much affection for Kamali in the beginning, started loving her in course of time drawn by the love and affection Kamali showered on her. There could be no household that is problem-free. We should realize that problems are part of our life; we should approach them with this understanding and shouldn’t blow them out of proportion.

I’ve come across families where mothers-in-law have won good name and are being loved by their daughters-in-law. There are some common factors present in all these women:

a. Apart from looking after the household and the family, the mothers-in-law will have their own favorite activity to pursue. They’ll be doing some useful things to the society. This service instills self-confidence in their mind and they do not suffer from inferiority complex.

b. They lead a healthy life both mentally and physically by doing regular physical exercise, worshipping God and doing meditation.

c. They allow the succeeding generation to live according to their own beliefs and ideas. They give advice only when solicited.

d. They’ll have some property and savings for their own. They give part of their savings to the children when they are in need. They derive happiness from the fact that they are able to help their children in times of emergency.

e. They ward off unwanted thoughts from their mind; they control anger. They retain only love and peace in their mind.

All women have natural intelligence, love and different skills. If only all women put their mind and take a vow to create good families and a disciplined and organized society, the world will become a heaven on earth. They should never lose heart due to advancing age. Eminent people like Anna Hazare and Savithri Vaithy are real inspirations for the elderly generation. Let us all usher in this new era with renewed energy; we can capture our own lives!