Ask any man “What your wife does?” and there is a possibility that you will get one silly reply if she is a homemaker. “No, she doesn’t go to work, she is a ‘housewife”. And this very statement is enough to create all kinds of barriers in our minds and trick us into thinking that being a “housewife” means ‘no work’ because at the end of the day, no matter how much effort you put, how much time you invest while taking care of your family, literally working 365 days without breaks; if you don’t get paid at the end of the day, it is not considered as work.
Many people think that housewives are not enough capable to get success. They are not celebrities, they never become viral on social media. But my MOM’s journey reflects how being a simple housewife, she became an achiever and now a successful Special Children Counsellor, Stress-Free Life Coach, Numerologist, Acupressurist, Woman Social Activist. It is true that what doesn’t break you makes you stronger and my mother is one such fine example.
Meet this “special mother of a special child”, Dr Shila Dasgupta, who is not just a world record holder but she has also perfected the art of acceptance.
While her father, late Probodh Chandra Chakraborty was a Guard in the railways, her mother, late Umarani Chakraborty was a classical singer, she got the best from both of her parents and it is no surprise that apart from being a singer, she gives motivational speeches too. It is because of her mother, that her voice has reached millions of hearts.
How being a Special Mother made her a better person, you ask? She says, “It is sad, that most people in our society have shown me sympathy and not love. What they don’t know is that not a single day goes by when I don’t cherish being a special mother. I feel blessed to have a son like Dr. Sai Kaustuv, who is 90% disabled but a 4th global icon now.”
“Sai is suffering from a rare disease called Osteogenesis Imperfecta, which is an extremely rare condition and is also known as Brittle Bone Disease. He identifies himself as a happiness coach and his only purpose is to bring back smile to people’s faces. It is him who taught me how to be patient and his work is like worship. Even though he is going through excruciating pain inside, he doesn’t let it take away his smile,” said Dr. Shila.
When people close to you pull you down, it becomes very difficult to move forward. She says, “It is strange how people mock us. Some of them have even told me, why are you so healthy and your son is so thin? Do you eat all his food?’ Insensitive remarks like these make me understand the ignorance of society. We need to understand that differently-abled children need more love and not sympathy from their family and society.”
After marriage, people refer to you not by your own identity but as someone’s wife or daughter. She feels that a woman’s real identity gets lost in all this. It always feels nice to have or achieve something of your own. My father Dr. Kaushik is very supportive in this case as he has always pushed mom to do new things and showcase her strong spirit.
Her younger son Dr. Kushal is a young filmmaker and Guinness world record holder. He is a multimedia guy and serving the nation through innovative films. He inspired my mom to achieve National and World Records. By chanting Hanuman Chalisa (spiritual verse) in 1 min 45 seconds only, my mom made a new record! Wow!
Spirituality, in her words, is a way of living. She personally believes that spirituality can counter stress and tension and take you in the right direction. Through the Art of Spirituality, she also completed her research on stress-free living and also received an honorary doctorate degree from The Diocese of Asia, Chennai. She is now a facilitator for a stress-free healthy life.
It is her grit and determination that have helped her to make impossible things possible. In a time when taking care of ourselves has taken a back seat and earning money has become our priority, mom asks all of us to slow down and think about the priorities in our lives. She believes crisis brings opportunity with themselves and one should never lose hope in difficult situations and embrace it with all their hearts.
Her life and works have become a source of inspiration for many girls, mothers, housewives across the world.
It’s a great fortune to be her son and on the eve of International Women’s Day 2021, I salute her for empowering thousands of women around who are ready to fly together in the pink sky.