We All are Imperfectly Perfect for the Mother

With Durga Puja and Navratri approaching next month, in October, I find myself reflecting, once again, on one of the earliest life lessons I received from my Mother. She had said, “There's imperfection in all of us, and there's perfection in every Imperfection.”

Just the way one generation passes on their life experiences, learnings, knowledge, culture and traditions to their next generations, this is how my Mother taught the 6-year old me, what 'Inclusion' meant. She explained the meaning of morals and values, equality and compassion weaving them through stories of the 9-Forms or 9-Roopas of Goddess Durga, we worship and celebrate during these 2 intertwined and coinciding Indian festivals. Each form representing a unique divine quality –

Day 1: Goddess Shailputri – Strength and Purity
Day 2: Goddess Brahmacharini – Self-Discipline and Perseverance
Day 3: Goddess Chandraghanta – Bravery (Courage)
Day 4: Goddess Kushmanda – Cosmic Energy (Vitality)
Day 5: Goddess Skandamata – Protection and Guidance
Day 6: Goddess Katyayani – Power and Righteousness
Day 7: Goddess Kaalratri – Destruction of Evil
Day 8: Goddess Maha Gauri – Peace and Wisdom
Day 9: Goddess Siddhidatri – Knowledge and Awakening 

She had added at the end of her story, that we all are the children of Goddess Durga and we all are equal in her eyes. Every year during Durga Puja, remembering my mother’s words, deepens my understanding of the concept of ‘Inclusion’ a bit more. The 3 roles I most connect with of the Goddess are that – She is a Daughter (symbolising responsibility and care), She is a Wife (symbolising companionship and equality) and She is a Mother (symbolising compassion and consideration) – all fused in one form. Each of these facets are present in all of us – men and women alike. We all perform actions throughout our lives relating to one or the other of these symbolisms. So, if every person carries the strength of the divine qualities and the mortal imperfections together, then I believe every person equally deserves to be valued and heard.

My mother is my first teacher. She got me acquainted with the Worldly-manners. She taught me the language she speaks – which she learnt from her Mother – which I now cognizantly identify as my Mother-tongue. Her learnings gave me the insight, that a child may teach us Persistence, constantly crying to their parents for something they want and until they get it. Whereas an elder person teaches us Gratitude and being Content, to have had the opportunity to experience Life as we call it and to have had the chance to gather Memories with their loved ones. Contrarily, someone from our own generation may show Survival instincts and Grit in extreme trying times, the Perspective to see the glass half-full, Politeness and Consideration in a group where you are ignored by the rest.

Not just my mother, I’m sure all of us learn something from the people around us – but we seldom stop and consider their age or Generation – while we are learning from them. We focus on capturing the information and imbibing it into ourselves, even personalising the learning in the process. Over the years, I have realised that Wisdom does not belong to only a particular generation. Every age-group experiences the world differently and has something unique to teach us, because they are evolving with the change. Perhaps, in the routine of everyday life, within our Unconscious Perspective, we often forget our own divine-blessed strengths we already carry within us.

The moral my mother taught me as a child, that everyone is imperfect in some way and yet there's beauty in it, continues to shape how I see and understand people today. It reminds me to value different perspectives, appreciate individual strengths, and create space for everyone to belong without fear, bias or judgement. Perhaps that is the essence of Inclusion: to not only accept our differences, but also to recognise that we can learn from each other, regardless of the generation we come from.