I have always been my father’s daughter. He has been a doting father to me since my childhood. An argument with my mother would lead to my father emerging as a hero with the advice and comfort I needed in that moment. However, in this process, I forgot to acknowledge the hero that my mother has been to me. At my age, she had me and my brother already! She was struggling with the usual banter that every mother of this generation has fought against.

My heart sank, a chill ran down my spine, when I finished packing my mother’s suitcases. She had to catch a flight the next day. She was crossing oceans to be with my brother; an almost estranged brother. She came to bid me goodbye at the door on the same day. It took me every ounce of courage to not crumble in front of her. All my issues, complaints, grudges, took a back seat. All I could think about was- I would not find my mother the next time I come home.

This ongoing, overwhelming phase gave birth to a lingering question in my mind – Do women receive the empathy that they deserve from other women? I denied a truth for the major chunk of my life stuck barking at the wrong tree. Unfortunately, half of the battles that women have fought were (and still are) against each other. The burning goblet has been passed on through generations. There is no need to blaze everyone’s individuality in this vicious process, yet it happens.

I have been blessed with the most amazing women in my life – my mothers, girlfriends, big sisters, little sisters; all of them finding themselves. Behind the smiles are hidden tonnes of effort making that smile happen, a lot of hushing making the noise fade!

Why not look past the ego, traumas, resentment and much more, and heal together? Empathy is never taxing. There are women everywhere, who need someone going through the same emotion – to make them feel safe and sane. Why not extend a hand and straddle through life with love and assurance?