A letter to daughter(s)

By Sneha Acharekar on December 1, 2020

Dear Daughter,

If you ever should have a son
Do teach him how to care for you
Do teach how to hurt none
Show him how love conquers all.

Let him know how your 9 months were
When in your womb he played
Let him know about the later crazy 19 years
When he grew in front of your tired eyes.

Let him know how to treat a lady
How not to talk to a girl
How not to ever raise his hand
How to display his real manhood

Let him understand sensitivity…
When it hurts and he feels wry
Do a favor to womankind
Don’t prejudice him that men do not cry.

Do let him know it is okay
If he prefers piano to cricket
And tell him it shouldn’t bother him
If his wife drives the car better.

Then let him know that in a house
He can step in the kitchen too
Not just to eat but he could cook
A delicious meal like you…

Teach him the so called feminine tasks
Of stitching, weaving, knitting…
‘Cos all you know with the number of female infanticides
He may struggle to look for a wife.

Don’t teach him to become a skinflint
But let him learn to value money
Teach him to respect his elders and women
And to give time to his children.

Do not inflate his ego with chauvinistic ideals of the past
Teach him instead to be humble and caring
Let his masculinity bloom as you nurture
This boisterous boy into a gentleman.

Let his creative side blossom.

He need not be tech savvy
Let him prefer gardening to gadgets
If that’s how he must be…

And if my child, you are so lucky
And you ever should have a daughter,
Bring her up with love and faith
And pass on this advice to her!!

Your loving,
Mamma!