Saturday, 16 July 2016

An Open Letter to my Mother-in-Law-Never-to-Be

I don’t know what to say, to discuss your mindset or approach, or to comment on your unexplainable insensitivity.
I don’t know if I should blame you for breaking my heart, or if I should be sorry for you leading your life as a heartless or mindless individual.
You were blessed enough to be a mother, a blessing not all women are granted. And you ruined it. You ruined the opportunity to raise a child, all I see before me is an imbelic, judgemental hound.
You were imparted with the duty to educate him, morally, ethically and of course according to worldy standards too. But what a pity you only fulfilled the last.
You raised a man who would receive sympathies for my refusal, and I'd be the one being accused of ungratefulness and my character would be the talk of dining tables of people who barely know me. I would be judged to be in a secret relationship. Slut, whore, characterless, intractable and what not, I would be labelled all. All because I rejected the man the world labels as perfect. They see his looks, his bank balance, his social status and nothing beyond. For me all they see is that I am a girl who rejected a man, a girl who took an authoritative decision in her life, a right the society refuses to let her exercise. And what society do I talk of, it too consists of mothers like you, mothers who gave birth but forgot the real task of motherhood begins after that.
You are a woman, so is your mother, sister and daughter, and look at you who even failed to teach him to respect your own gender. You failed to teach him to lower his gaze the moment he looks upon a woman. You failed to filter his thoughts the moment he hears the word 'woman'. You failed to teach him women are not to objectified.
I don't know if I should comment on your hypocrisy for what you demand for your daughter and daughter-in-law, or I should be more concerned about how you fail to recognize the rights of a wife despite being one.
I don't know if I should comment on how you want history to repeat itself, you want me to go through what you have, or how you could stoop so low to be tormented and then still support it for another woman.
You dream of your daughter to live a free life, but aim to cage the wife of your son.
You believe your daughter deserves a man who understands her, and yet you believe it's against masculinity for your son to do the same.
I don't know if I should be more concerned about how dubious your thoughts about life are, or that you have ruined the future of your kids.
You are a failed mother, and nothing you say to my mom will justify your actions.
You accuse my mother of setting her daughter loose, of making her the independent woman who was strong enough to reject your son. But what answer do you have to your biased approach of which woman deserves what, about your will to discriminate between your daughter and that of another.
You commented on how I spoke more than most brides-to-be, but I'm sorry you failed to notice I spoke logically because I'm not weak enough to let your opinions rule my life.
You commented on how I wasn't just perfect, because I wasn't the 18 year old girl you wanted for your 30 year old son. Yes I wasn't because my parents choose to educate me before pushing me into another home at an immature age.
You commented on how I didn't have the perfect height, weight, skin colour or physeek you'd wanted. But what a pity your son was still so materialistic, that all this bothered him even after being so educated.
I thank lord for opening my eyes and for seeing the real person you are, so much that I saved my life from becoming a living hell.
I know as you walk out of my house, you will abuse me, curse me, gossip about me and spread false beliefs. But I refuse to do any of that myself or for it to bother me, because I was raised right and my mother didn't fail at parenthood like you.
God knows in how many homes you've sat and will, judging other women like me from head to toe. Piercing their soul with your judgemental look as you sip onto your cup of tea, mentally rejecting them and preparing yourself to make another trip to another home.

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