My Persevering Personal Cheerleaders: My Inspirational Personalities

My Cheerleaders

Cheerleaders. Each one has a person they look up to, it could be famous public figures, celebrities or someone around them. I have been fortunate enough to have grown amongst some amazing women in my life and each one of them have had an important role to play in my upbringing. Women play a great role in our life. From our coming to this world, women have played a vital role in our life. The solicitous care our mothers gave us ever since we were nestled in her hands make us who we are today. I have many women to be proud and without any doubt I call them as “PERSONAL CHEERLEADERS OF MY LIFE”.

Well, of course starting with my mother the sole reason for my existence- Maria Dsouza whom I dearly call Mumma. My mother has taken great care of me, even at times when I have been mischievous. From the moment I was born to the days I took my first steps on my own feet and to this day, I am indebted to my mother for what she has provided for me.

She is a super woman as she takes good care of each one in the family. She dedicates most of her time in tending to our needs. From her concise explanation of topics when I am in doubt to the stern but gentle scoldings which correct me. The days she took me to the park and her enriching knowledge all sum up to everything I know. The times she has woken up early to pack my tiffin to the times she instilled moral values in me. Well, I must accept I have been a bit of a handful, so she did need some help.

My grandmothers and aunts played a great role in my life. My grandparents whom I call Mai and Mummy Mai who never hesitated to provide whatever I wanted. From their traditional massages, frequent stories and other experiences just give me a marvellous time in India. Oh, the fun gardening lessons they taught can never be forgotten.

My paternal grandma is a lady who never wants to be away from her home. But after I was born, my parents who worked in a different city needed help to keep an eye on me as their work kept them busy the whole day. That is when my grandma comes to the rescue. She moved along with us and took care of me until I was a year old.

A lady who never wished to step out of her comfort zone had come to take care of me in another city which is not close by just to take care of me. I am forever grateful to her for her perseverance to tend to me. This was the first and last time she had stayed away from her home. I sure have two amazing pair of grandparents!

PIC: Left – Mummy Mai, Right – Mai

My forever cheerleaders, my aunts- Preema and Mrudula whom I fondly call Maushi have helped me shape my skills and talents with their plethora of knowledge. My aunt, Preema maushi, is a nurse by profession, enjoys gardening. I have learnt to take care of plants, enjoy nature from her. She helps me with my projects that require voice variations and enacting.

My other aunt, Mrudula,  whom I call Munni enjoys reading books as much as I do. She helps me with creative writing. The fantabulous times when I used to watch movies together with my aunts to the days, we played hide and seek. They always brought a smile to my face.

But what I like the best is their amazing suggestions of books and movies which led me to spend my summers reading books and binge-watching Disney and Netflix movies all day with scrumptious slices of mangoes, papayas, and jackfruits from our very own backyard to go with it.

PIC: Left – Munni, Right – Preema Maushi

Well of course not to forget my teachers who have groomed me to be a good boy. As the saying goes; “The influence of a good teacher can never be erased.” My teachers from pre-school to Grade 6, my teachers have nurtured me, corrected me, and guided me to become who I am today.

I remember my first day in school which was a cranky one, I remember Ms. Rajitha who helped me to adjust to my new school life. In preparatory when I had begun to settle into school, it was time for my first writing lessons which unveiled my handwriting. I am forever grateful to two teachers- Ms. Felicia my Preparatory Class teacher & Ms. Priya my Grade 5 English teacher. They are my most favourite teachers, teachers for my life.

Ms. Felicia who helped me improve my cursive handwriting which is still recognized by teachers who teach me today.  She was also the one who encouraged me to start reading books thus improving my reading habits.

Her story time in class helped me increase my love towards books.I was so close to her that even in later grades I used to visit her daily in the morning. I still remember the day when I couldn’t find her in her classroom which led me to be upset the whole day. At once when I got back home, I told my mom to check with her about her absence from school.

The same year she moved to UK which made me miss her a lot. Though she moved to a different country many years back, I am still in contact with her. Before she moved, she had given me a memento which I still treasure as her blessings.

I am filled with gratitude to Priya Ma’am who provided me many opportunities in school.She is a very kind and an always encouraging teacher who always got the very best out of me. If I were to ever write a book, I wish Priya Ma’am would agree to be its editor. T

hough I have moved to a different country I am still in touch with her. There are many other teachers who taught and nurtured me to who I am today like Anupama Ma’am, Poonam Ma’am, Suman Ma’am, Sana Ma’am, Syeda Ma’am, Prabuela Ma’am, Bharathy Ma’am, Sankari Ma’am, Vanshika Ma’am who are still in touch with me even though I was their student few years back and hope to remain this contact with all of my wonderful teachers for the rest of my life.

I find myself lucky to have met these lovely, beautiful women in the journey of life. It would be unfair to choose only one important woman as all are equally important to me along with my mother. They all continue to amaze me with their talents, affection, guidance, and care.

To thank all these wonderful people there is special day to celebrate all the special women- Women’s Day. Nobody is sure of when Women’s Day started. Some people say it began in 1909, when socialist women and textile workers in New York marched demanding shorter hours, higher pay, and the opportunity to vote.

Some other sources attribute its origins to anti-fascist and socialist German leader Clara Zetkin. But whenever it did begin, it was an important day in our calendar to thank women in our lives which we often forget to do. Therefore, I have taken time to pen this article especially for all the women who shaped my life ,a heartfelt gratitude for everything you  all have done for me.

Here’s wishing to all my personal cheerleaders Happy International Women’s Day 2024!

Cover Image credits: https://www.boldsky.com/insync/international-womens-day-2024-wishes-quotes-texts-messages-images-fb-and-whatsapp-status-154327.html

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