Writer’s Journal
A Tribute to My Parents' Love
A tale of beautiful love in a patriarchal society
I'm not really a fan of the conservative dynamics among many South Asian, married couples. Having been born and raised in Pakistan, I often notice how married women bear the brunt of toxic masculinity in which most of the men treat them with toxicity and whatnot just because they (men) are the breadwinners and their women are homemakers and a person's worth is mostly measured on the basis of "money" they make. This leaves women with little-to-no say in decision-making power.
Against this backdrop, I saw my parents setting a totally opposite standard. My father earns money and my mother is a homemaker but the household dynamics are predominantly different from the conventional ones.
I love the way they both care for each other and stand as equal partners. I cherish their bond. I love the way my mum waits for my father to have a meal when he's not home. And the same is done by my father when mum is not around; he waits for her no matter how long it takes.
I love the way baba (my father) takes care of little things which affect mama. The way he helps her with household chores when he's home, the way he reminds her to take her medicine on time, the way he protects her from the biased comments of the people around, and much more.
I love mama the way she takes care of baba's diet so that he stays healthy, the way she gets alerted when baba catches the symptoms of a disease and asks him to get his check-up done right away, the way she fights with those who talk against him, and so on.
In today's world, where self-centeredness is becoming so normal, I see my parents living for each other everyday.
This is the kind of love I want.
