SonDay

There are some moments which you cherish in your life – the first job, your marriage, moving into a new house, birth of a child. Standing apart from all these crowning glories there are some moments which outwardly appear small and mundane, but have a deep impact on our lives. This Sunday I experienced one such moment. Thanks to Ariel India's sons #ShareTheLoad campaign.

I decided to share the load with my mother. So I undertook the first task of the morning which involved making tea. Every morning my mother would lovingly ask me, 'Beta tea?' and I would reply, 'Yes please. But please remember less sugar and don't forget to add lemon grass as well.' Today I took up the responsibility and asked my mother, 'Mom tea?' My mother smiled and just nodded her head. It was unexpected for her that she would get a ready made tea. She held the cup in her hands for long and had every sip slowly, cherishing the moment.

My task didn't stop just by making the tea. There is another job which follows making the tea. I took the cups to the sink, where the other paraphernalia – tea pan, strainer were waiting. I washed them as well. It was my mother's teaching. 'Every time you have tea immediately wash the cups and pans. So that the next time you have tea, you don't have to scrub the pan first.'

 Another interesting task of the day was washing clothes. I remember telling my mother at times, 'Please brush the cuffs and collar properly. See the stain has not gone.' But today I realized what an herculean task doing the laundry was. Brushing, rinsing, involved lot of effort, perhaps more than the gym. I washed all the clothes and hung them on the clothes line.

I was sweating by now. I am sure I must have burnt at least four hundred calories. When I struggled to rinse the double bed sheet on the clothes line, it was my mother who came to my rescue. I realized how tasking daily household tasks were.

Gandhiji had said every person should undertake some physical activity every day and that physical activity must be productive. I fully agree with him. Household tasks are not best left to the womenfolk. Every member of the family must be actively involved in the household tasks to reap its multiple benefits – good physical health, better relationships and most importantly mutual respect. I have shared the load, have you?

‘I pledge to #ShareTheLoad in household chores in association with Ariel and BlogAdda‘