This is so true about my mother Muthulakshmi and to most of my immediate family women and to my friends' mothers and friends' wives...
Growing up, I had a fabulous childhood but only when I grew up did I realize how little money my parents had. I always wondered how my mother managed with less and yet give us so much....amazing!!! We used to have guests land up suddenly and if you don't feed them, they would get angry and leave....no it isn't their fault for coming unannounced!
My father had 6 siblings and our family get-togethers were always something that all us children looked forward to....so much fun and laughter.....And this was even when none were rich....and NO we were never made aware of that! And you know what we talk about when we all meet.....the pillows that disappeared at night, the lovely food and the games we played....beautiful memories etched forever.
From Grade XI to completing CA, for 8 years, I moved to Chennai and stayed in hostels (my parents used to live in a place with no proper education). Food at the hostels was at best passable and for the most part...bad!! If one needed good food, then it was at my cousin sisters' house or my friends' houses....I couldn't afford to eat out you see and eating out never came close to the food we got at their homes anyways!!
I'm eternally thankful to all these ladies - my cousin sister, my friends' mothers and friends' wives.... where I have been fed so many days and nights.....Initially I would hesitate when asked if I wanted to eat....but slowly, even that hesitation stopped!! These were not rich homes but their hearts were always BIG.
Today, all my friends and family are doing very well financially....we don't think twice about buying new clothes or eating out or heading to a movie or going on that international holiday!! But we always reminisce about the "Good" old days!!
2 things that life has taught me that I try and follow: Money is NOT required to be generous and Experiences are more important than possessions.
For now, I'm eternally grateful to these lovely ladies who never left me hungry and guided me to become who I am today.