She has endurance, adaptability, she is resilient, emotional but not weak. She carries the magic of life in her…She is a celebration, today & every day.
SUBURB in conversation with ladies who live by the choices they make with an attitude, “ I will not give up.’
Dr Roma Kumar
It is a blessing to be born as a woman. I have the strength to face the world, the courage to stand up for myself, my family, and my children. I am definitely intuitive, compassionate, and nurturing as much as I am capable and strong. I’m convinced I have a higher pain tolerance than men. Being a woman in 2021 means standing my ground when any unjust situation occurs because it never made sense to stay silent anyway. And, being a woman to me means being able to value who I am and acknowledge my worth, even though it’s always been there.
They say, never waste a crisis! I found the past year very interesting (uncertain, ambiguous, volatile and complex) and full of opportunities to reflect and learn. I have increasingly tried to embrace change and, more importantly, preparedness. I have noticed that we can live with minimalistic resources. I learnt to sit back and enjoy, do my job well, try-hard, be appreciative and grateful. It allowed me to help our community navigate their mental health issues through various platforms. I have learnt to re-orient my thoughts and actions, and there is no ‘right time’ than today.
Dr Roma Kumar is a senior consultant Psychologist at the Institute of Child Health and Vice Chairperson (Psychology) Institute for Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. Founder of Saksham Child and Adolescent Guidance Clinic.
Padmini Mehta
Today and every day, I take pride in being a woman because of being made perfect through imperfect. Being in a dysfunctional relationship, I attributed every action of my husband aimed to make me unhappy. Many of you will understand the concept of being a selfless giver, as women nurturing comes naturally to us. No questions asked; we have been blessed to be a giver. I was no different.
For the past couple of years, I did notice the increase in his tantrums and lately also some increase in frustration, which led to violence and the use of abusive language. Neither did I have the time nor the patience to deal with it, therefore the change in temperament, I just brushed under the carpet. Covid times entered the world. For me, it was a significant change. I started keeping a journal; every day, I would note down the triggers. After about two months, realisation dawned; it could be dementia. Frantic calls to the doctor confirmed it, and subsequent treatment & medications started.
Pandemic changed me and my relationship with my husband. I started to notice the unseen… what I believed was insecurity, ego & pride was actually the primary dementia setting in him. My perception of my relationship took a 360-degree turn. This period was an opportunity to look at the situation differently. Today, I am grateful that I can better manage the situation, and truly the relationship between us has improved.
Padmini Mehta is a hospitality professional and a passionate foodie. Besides marketing Hotels & Restaurants actively pursues her love for food both as a published writer as well as creating & evolving dining experiences with a twist.
Meenakshi Khera
Being a lady has distinctive advantages, and besides being important to yourself, you belong to that gender born and nurtured with several unique gifts. As a woman, I am compassionate, emotional, but not weak. I lead teams at work, being in HR, understanding human relations much better while keeping the balance at work and family. Women are multitaskers and natural caregivers and carry an innate strength to stand for self and what she believes in. As women, we are gorgeous and enjoy the wide array of dressing up options in terms of clothing and accessories. I am blessed to be born as a woman.
The Covid year 2020 was the year that once again taught me to be resilient. The last few months have felt like some of the longest months of our lives, and for some, these have been the hardest months. As a mom of two elementary-aged kids and an entrepreneur, these last few months have personally felt extra heavy. But this isn’t a new feeling for me – the heaviness of the burden of childcare along with the burden of navigating my professional career is one I’ve had on my shoulders for over two decades now. My learnings include quick adaptability, rediscovering one to one relations, and adopting technology at an accelerated rate.
Meenakshi Khera is a HR Professional with more than two decades of comprehensive experience at the end to end gamut of HRM and majorly working with various IT /ITES companies/Hospitality/Hotels & Health Sector.
Smriti Chhabra
I take pride in being a woman when I watch a beautiful young girl before me, who came into my arms sixteen years ago, being sheltered inside me for nine months. The moment of bringing a new life into the world was the happiest one, and the first be proud of being a complete woman. Having overcome the challenges of miscarriages and depression, the fulfilment of my womb and soul comes with the journey of birthing a child, guiding that little human to take the tiny steps to embrace this world and to see her grow into an amazing person who inspires me to be a better person and every day makes me proud to be a mom.
Covid year, 2020 was a time to pause, think and transform. I relooked at my inner world, reconnected with friends and family. I got some quality time to spend with my daughter. The unpredictable time was an opportunity to reach out to people who needed support- grocery and everyday stuff to move on with their lives. I took time to look beyond the needs of self and family and reflect on the word as one universal whole. With work digitally, it has a greater responsibility to spread news and awareness among people. Hence I pumped up more power, hard work and content into my Facebook Group, Gurgaon Community Circle.
Smriti Chhabra is a Founder/Administrator at Gurgaon Community Circle. She is a team member at the District School Safety Committee and a social media consultant.
Nivedita Rathore
I know I’m emotionally
stronger and more resilient than men. Within me is the power to create life and
manifest the life that I want. As nature intended… I’m a mother, so caring,
loving, nurturing is inherently something I do. Being empathetic makes me a
better partner, caregiver and even a better co-worker. I embrace my womanhood
completely and stand tall even at 5ft3.”
Covid forced the entire world to a stop. I felt it was a time to
recalibrate, introspect and even affect change in different parts of my life.
Apart from the inconvenience of not having help at home initially, we all had
to pull our weight as a family. We did spend a lot more quality time together,
but the one who loved it the most was Bella, our cocker spaniel, was our ticket
to get out of the house during the lockdown.
For me, I focused on decluttering my wardrobe, home and even relationships. Long conversations and catch up calls and sometimes zoom calls with friends and family. Luckily my Mom, who lives by herself, is in the same building as us, so I made it a point to see her every day. I took to greening my house, ordering fresh flowers every week, cooking gourmet meals for my foodie family and started a walking regimen after years.
Nivedita is a hotel school graduate and a foodie. Her world revolves around her three daughters, one of whom is a four-legged one, and my husband. I enjoy time with my friends, often cooking and entertaining.
