A Mother is a Mother

A Mother is a mother

(Specially composed on the occasion of Mother’s Day 2014)

A mother is a mother.

Be it homo-sapiens (we human beings) or birds, ducks or other animals.

The instincts are the same.

Here are a few pictures which narrate their own tale and meanings.

Firstly, a mother is a teacher.

Even if she doesn't teach in a school.

See the chicks of Coots being taken for a lesson on how to swim and fish in a lake.

Notice the protective formation.

Apart from giving protection from an unseen enemy,

It also teaches the chicks how to navigate and maintain course.

 

Mother also teaches the young grey herons to fly and to land.

Didn’t our mother do the same for us when we were learning to stand up as a toddler?

And struggled to take the first steps?

Next, mother is a watch guard.

Alert and protective.

Here is a grey heron, guarding its nest from predators.

Mother is, of course, a feeder.

All mothers nurse and feed their babies.

In the case of birds, their food has to be collected from far and brought home (to the nest) in mother’s bill.

The chicks are forever hungry and waiting.

The mother and in some cases the father too, has to make a soft landing.

Else they may trample the young ones with their weight.

See the two pictures of Grey Heron and White Ibis balancing in the air to make a soft landing.

And feed their young ones.

It is the same story with the cats and its kittens.

The cat looks for food early morning so that the kittens can be fed.

And to ward off any intruders like me—the photographer. 

Cat the mother—my apologies for intruding into your privacy!

Mother is a Saviour.

A mother cares for its young ones and also protects them.
These pictures were captured in our garage doorway in Secunderabad, India.

See the narrative embedded in the pictures.

Despite an unequal opponent and being on the other side of a metal gate, the cat did not run away! She crouched like a tiger and gave such menacing looks to the dog as if warning it "How dare you?" See the picture above.

Of course, after a stand off the dog walked away. And the kittens emerged back from the garage. As if nothing had happened.

And the mother cat obliged the hungry kittens!

For an earlier story titled ‘Facing the Enemy’, you may browse the blog:

http://ghumakkadhb.blogspot.in/2013/05/facing-enemy.html

Grannies are mothers all over again.

Yes, that is nature’s way of repeating the roles.

As a grandmother, the grannies play this role all over again.

See Anjali, the graceful granny, all smiles with Mohili, her grand daughter on her 1^st birthday.

A picture of sheer joy.

Holding the grand child. The child may be busy in her own world.

Yet the two enjoy each other’s warmth and touch.

And when it is time for our children to don the hat of parenthood, the cycle comes all over again! 

Am reminded of a short quotation by Barbara Kingsolver when she said “But kids don't stay with you if you do it right. It's the one job where, the better you are, the more surely you won't be needed in the long run.” 

So, mothers and grandmothers—cheer up even if you feel lonely in the absence of your children/ grandchildren!

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers in this world and to all of us who were blessed by wonderful mothers!

Remembering my mother this day.
She was a mother, grandmother and great-grand mother.
Teacher.
Poet, Writer.
Creative thinker.
A great human being.

She may have left this world but she remains in our hearts forever.
Pranaam Ma.

Alright, friends of Ghumakkad.
Bye till the next

-          Harsh the Ghumakkad/ Mother’s Day 2014