Under the Umbrella of my Love

Dear Son,

This picture of the two of us above is from our family holiday with your grandparents to Jaipur back when you had just turned one. We were outside Amer Fort and I spotted this colorful mini umbrella adorned with tiny mirrors. You were fascinated by it and wouldn’t stop staring at it. It was the perfect size for you and so I got it. It was the best ₹100 I have spent in a long time because it has since then kept you occupied for many minutes at a time. Anyways, I digress.

Today I wanted to talk to you about Umbrella’s. Well actually I wanted to write a letter reiterating how much I love you and this got me thinking that an umbrella was the perfect way to describe my love for you.

A safe open space

Compared to raincoats (often made from hot sticky rubber like fabric), umbrellas are open and airy. They provide shade from the rain and the sun while also allowing you to breathe. My love for you is like that. You can take shade under my wing when life is blisteringly hot or when troubles come pouring down. My love may not protect you from all the wind or the heat but it will be a respite, a safe open space for you to come to whenever you feel the need to.

An extension of you

The clothes we wear and the bags we use are often an extension of us — an extension of the message we want to send out to the world on a given day. Think of my love as the umbrella you accessorize with. My love can be loud, bright and red when you need me to show the world you’re braver than you look and it can also be quiet, practical and black when you need some support to just get you through the rain.

A walking stick or a weapon — you choose

Umbrella’s do more than provide shade. They make for great walking sticks can also be a great weapon to smack someone with. Similarly my love for you is multi-dimensional. I promise to walk beside you for days or even years and you can lean on me whenever you’re not strong. However, remember that I am your mother. If I feel you need a good whack to protect you from yourself I won’t hesitate to do no matter how much you feel it hurts in that moment.

Useful or ignored

Most people only use their umbrella’s when it is raining. The rest of the time they hang in one corner, ignored. It’s fine with me if you ignore my love for you. I won’t be hurt and you can be assured that my love for you will not change either. As a teen, I went through phases where I simply could not connect with my mother and wanted to run away and travel the world. It is only when I grew up a bit that she became my best friend. Moms can be extremely useful (practically and emotionally) but you may also be able to happily survive without them for months. While I hope there won’t be a time that you don’t talk to me for months, know that my love for you will be like that umbrella sitting in a corner waiting for you whenever you need it.

I guess what I want to convey through this letter is that my love for you is versatile and all encompassing. My arms are and will always be open for a hug whenever you may need one no matter how close or far we get. All I can hope is that you spend many a day under the umbrella of my love.

This post is part of the annual #BlogChatterA2Z Challenge .When my son was born I promised myself I’d write him love letters as often as I could as this challenge is part of that promise. U is for Umbrella of my Love. Do follow P for Parenting for more articles in this series and to read my next post V is for the Victim Card.