Moms are in the news. For instance, the 2010 survey of 77 middle-income countries to find the ideal place for mothers. The survey recommends Cuba, Israel, Argentina, Bahamas and Mangolia as better places for mothers-to-be. India stands at a dismal 73(we are rated below Kenya and Congo)! And, Indian mothers can certainly do with better healthcare and childcare services.
But, this does not mean we won't have kids. Rajo Devi (70) of Haryana had a baby in 2008, with help from IVF and expert gynos, and is the oldest mom.
If we are talking about moms in the news, can glam-moms be far behind? Sushmita Sen embraced momhood by adopting two girls; Madhuri Dixit, after two kids, returned to tinseltown; and as for Kajol continues to wow her fans after her five-year break to be with daughter. And, how can we not mention ‘Dreamgirl' Hema Malini who endorses products with her grown-up daughters; Sharmila Tagore and Jaya Bachchan…?
Let's move to the international scene. Deborah Phelps, mother of swimming sensation Michael Phelps, has helped Michael cope with ADHD by posting task lists on the refrigerator and awarding stickers for completing them. Serena Williams thanked mom Oracene Price after winning her fourth Wimbledon title. Andy Murray's mother Judy is always seen excitedly supporting him wherever he played. “I put a lot of emotion into it, I'm always shattered if he lost at the end of a tight match,” she says. Judy writes, does radio commentaries and spends tournament evenings washing tennis shirts! And, acting sensation Angelina Jolie always talks of how she's raising her kids with an open mind and by setting an example for them.
On a fascinating note, football player Ronaldo has a month-old son, but won't say who the child's mother is. If he's going to raise the kid himself and don the role of a mom too, can he be declared the most famous newsmaker mom?
Alas, there are also mothers in the news for all the wrong reasons — Sudha Pathak, mother of Delhi journalist Nirupama Pathak, is in jail, for her daughter's death. A young un-wed woman had a baby in the restroom on a flight to Amritsar, and walked away. She was arrested at the Rajasansi airport.
An international newspaper recently threw light on another aspect of motherhood in our country — surrogacy. “Reproductive tourism”, as the story calls it, is a booming trade in the country, for surrogacy in India costs about a sixth of that in the U.S., and the surrogate mothers find good money in it.
Okay, India may not have made it to the top ten ideal places for motherhood, but, in an interesting irony, more women across the world turn to our country to become a mother!
Mom said…
To describe my mother would be to write about a hurricane in its perfect power. — Maya Angelou
I messed up in school so much they were sending me home, but my mother sent me right back. — Denzel Washington
