There's No Place Like Home..

Woman are the pillars of strength in any facet of life. I too, am a woman and my greatest gift of faith is being a mother. If I had to write a book on parenting, I would be doing an injustice to the meaning of it because every woman is a parent in their own world of experience.

My most prized possessions in my life are my beautiful children. I couldn’t have asked for a more blessed chapter in this journey of being a woman. They have brought meaning and depth to this life and for me the feeling is irreplaceable.

This emotion grew onto me even stronger when I had to work away from home for a few weeks and my only contact with my kids was a phone call each night just to tuck them in. Being a doctor, I am so dedicated in my field of service. I accompanied a voluntary group of doctors into a war torn Somalia in the aim of service and love. It was a sight to remember, pictures that wreak havoc even in my mind when I think back to it. Little children succumb only to the hope of water, food and a smile. I cried with fear every night when I got into that camp of ours to sleep away the pain of tormenting sights of disbelief and poverty.

How could anyone be so cruel to humanity. How could life become so difficult to live by. How does one swallow pain and sleep on the pillow of its acceptance. I wanted to run away from here into the arms of my comfortable home. It was very hard.

One morning while doing my rounds in a tent full of woman, I noticed a frail woman clutching something that looked like a baby. Its stench made me tear with pain. It was dead and she wasn’t letting go of it. This incident led me to understand that even in death there is love and the hope of a new beginning for the death of this child gave this one woman of Somalia hope. Survival meant giving up everything even a life for your bread. She didn’t want to let go of the corpse because she felt that she was wrong to allow herself to live in place of her baby, but in reality she was stronger so she would be better opted for survival.

That night when I called home, my kids rushed to the phone in such delight of my presence on the other line that I built up the courage to smile and tell them how much I loved them and I was coming home very soon. We were there now almost five weeks and I was growing weaker with pain from all this. I nursed the sick, fed the children and helped the frail wither away into their comfort of care. I made a difference but it still didn’t grant me ease. Something was missing, if only I could settle into the seat of my thoughts and work out where my weakness was.

This notion stayed until the moment we returned home and one night as I was tucking my kids into their beds I realized why I had been feeling displaced. My heart was cold now and I trembled with fear. I was a mother with a world of possibilities and I had the comfort of my home. They had nothing except the hope of seeing a new day. But those woman had such strength and determination in them that we cannot match with our struggles of life.

Woman lay a foundation for life.

Woman create life.

Woman make the house a home and for this notion we can believe that there is no place like home..