She was tall, thin, beautiful and elegant, my mother I mean.
I have seen her only in pictures.
I have been told that she died just after giving birth to me.
A string of relatives along with my father took turns to bring me up.
When this routine started disrupting their regular lives, my foster mothers suggested my father to remarry.
My new mother just about tolerated me.
I often wonder what it would feel like her arms around me, giving me one of these warm hugs that I see other moms and children exchange everyday…
I wonder what I should do bring a smile on her face on seeing me…
Aah! A remarriage may give a man, a wife but rarely a mother to a child.
Linking it to The Write Tribe Festival of Words – 3 : Day 1 : 9 Sentence Fiction
PS : Based on a real life story!
44 Responses
Probably children will grow more independently, in such cases.
Destination Infinity
Thats heart wrenching. A simple need-love, And how many of us are deprived of it, Sigh
I liked the child’s perspective in this, Shilpa. However, it’s not always true – some women do love their step-children as their own, thankfully.
True that this could be a scenario, but as Corinne comments, the reverse is also true. In fact I know so many where they actually have a better bond and loving relationship with their step-mother. My grandmother was one of those – her mother died when she was very little and my great grandfather married again. She actually had the best relationship with my grandmother even over and above her own children and she lived with us for many years after my great grandfather died.
Absolutely, Shilpa, and this is a common story. Usually men remarry on the pretext of giving their kids a mother, however, that exactly is what goes missing.
wow.. sad but true, I’m afraid. Love the fact that you’re speaking from the child’s perspective.
Wonder how you can live with a child and not love him/her. I mean don’t people even start loving dogs and cats and parrots? A sad one this was, Shilpa.
I agree with Corinne. Sometimes, the stepmom/dad can be a complete angel too. I know many people like that. But, then again, this is your fictional take, so I love your poetic interpretation of the theme 🙂
True to an extent.May be there is some chemistry at work in the case of biological children.But I have seen cases where step mothers shower their affection without holding back. and the children love them equally.
A child blames his own mother many a times when she wields a stick to discipline the child and when its the case with a step mom the tables are turned on the mom as she is not related by blood. It’s is a very difficult situation and neither the step mom nor the child is to be blamed but the circumstances.
This is sad Shilpaagarg, both that you lost your mother, and no other woman helped to fill that gap. In Denmark the word for step is bonus. I have two bonus kids that I love and smile every time I see them.
Reflex Reactions
Hi Ida. Welcome to my blog and thanks for reading. Well… this is not my story. 😛 it’s a story of a child in our circle of friends.
Very sad for the child, but also for the step-mother because she doesn’t know what she carelessly threw away. I have raised children that I did not give birth to, and I cannot adequately describe how much those children love me. And because I didn’t give birth to them, they don’t take me for granted like we usually do our biological mothers. They always make sure I know how important I am in their lives. You grew up; she lost out.
that very heart touching! Truly sad- “A remarriage may give a man, a wife but rarely a mother to a child.” To love another child is not everyone’s cup of tea!
Yes, Shilpa, it’s never the same.
Poor child 🙁 How difficult it must be for him / her to yearn for mom’s love and not getting it, leaving him/ her feeling unwanted 🙁
As usual, you strike the right chord with us all 🙂
Unrequited love always hurts. But there are many women who are actually very nice. I had a neighbor who remarried after his wife passed away – leaving two baby girls behind. The new mother loved them like her own and they are a model family. They have three girls now, all lovely young ladies.
🙂 Nice post. Sad post, though
The word stepmotherly treatment came from such cases. But as so many others said, its not always the case
WE never see things from a child’s perspective do we? Well written!
I know in situations like these the kids are more often than not scarred, but I have seen live examples around me where the stepmothers have been really warm and accepting. Nice story, though.
A very fine story from the child’s angle.Somehow, ‘stepmother’ has been portrayed as a devilish woman in fiction and also in reality,.
I have never known anyone who was brought up by a step mom so I cant really comment, but yes, I lost my father very early in my life(when I was 4) and sometimes I ponder if my life would have been any different if my mom had remarried(my mom was in her late 30s when my dad passed away).
Mother to a child, rarely! At least I haven’t seen it happening. Sad but poignant!
A remarriage may give a man, a wife but rarely a mother to a child. – This is so true. I’ve seen it around. Beautiful writing!
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Shilpa Garg: I loved the way you said, “A remarriage may give a man, a wife but rarely a mother to a child”. Very nicely portrayed emotions of a child who is being raised by a step mother. But on the other hand, in rare scenarios (I would presume), step mothers would also take care of step-kids as their own.
I had a heart wrenching feeling reading the last line since I do know of such stories personally.
Sensitively portrayed and touched the heart. My dad was two when my dadi died and the dad’s so-called father remarried a woman who never loved dad. The husband never did anything to prevent harsh treatment.
Yes, more fact than fiction to this one. I’ve seen it in family and in children around us. It’s so very sad.
Heart wrenching. Again, this may be a common happening in India. I think it is not true in other countries. Again, I may be wrong. In USA, I have seen quite a few guys accuse their wives of pampering her step child/ren too much.
So heartwrenching Shilpa…!!! wonderfully written..I know its fiction…but yet so true.
sad but true……most often this is what happens, barring a few kind-hearted women.
It’s very sad indeed. I guess it’s tough on the father too… to see his child unhappy.
Its a blessing to have our parebts with us thru a considerable part of our journey rt…..
Of course it’s always better to have one’s parents all the while.
Shilpa, I do know of step mothers who really love the children as much as the live their biological children.i think, it’s all about one’s attitude towards life.
The last line killed it! Oh, so true!
Heart wrenching post! 🙂
Shilpa this topic is so close to my heart I have no idea what to say right now. And yes you are right, it can never happen… this one comes with no replacement..
Although it is rare, some stepmothers do have beautiful relationships with their foster kids. I’ve witnessed one such bond. My cousins lost their mother to cancer when they were teens. But their stepmother brought them up well, not just like her own kids, but also like friends. They absolutely adore her today.
Cheers
CRD
True that! I hope she learns to bring that smile on her mother’s face. 🙁
I agree with Corinne Shilpa. There are many women who look upon their step children as their very own. An outsider cannot make out that they are unrelated ( by blood and birth). But I must say you have presented the child’s perspective beautifully.
Feel sad for kids who have such step mothers but there are step mom’s who make loving mom’s too. Loved your last line, shilpa. .
That is so sad! Lovely story!
This is such a sad but well written post, and one I can relate to. I lost my mother a few years ago, and my father remarried, this time to a shrew. I mostly vent my anger through writing whenever she upsets me, and will be posting these scribbings occasionally. Some of my best work too. She knows I write about her in anger, so that evens the score.
That’s beautiful and sad…it seems so inhumane when an adult cannot treat a child the right way whether or not they are related by blood. After all, the child is completely dependent…