musings and more

According to a newspaper report , a lot of women are putting off motherhood till they entered their forties.  Reason- they are busy actualizing a career, chasing a dream job. According to the report, a lot of them turn to artificial methods of conception like IVF (in vitro fertilization) as their biological clocks have slowed down making it difficult for them to conceive. But is waiting till you are forty to have a baby a good idea? Don't label me to be conservative when I say this, but I think women should start planning to have babies by the time they hit mid-thirties or not have a child at all. Before you point out and say- easy for you to say this- you don't have a baby as yet, how do you know what you're talking about; let me tell you about a close family friend who has undergone innumerable treatments trying to conceive and has been unsuccessful till now. She tells me how painful it can be. The injections and medication leave her with very little energy ...

I was at a wedding recently, where I saw different kinds of women- authoritative women, positive women, self-involved ones, those striking a fine balance between work and life... It got me thinking- what does it mean to be a woman today? Are we really liberated as we would like to think? Don't we still need to be a certain way and do certain things to be acceptable by our society at large? I, who was raised by two women from different generations, got different reactions when I declared my wish to go on a sabbatical. But naturally, I expected varied reactions. According to my grandmom, I will be free to do what I felt like after I get married. And right now, I must fulfil my duty as a daughter and contribute to the daily bread. Whereas my mother, wholeheartedly supported the decision and left the choice to go back to employment when I feel like. Did my grandmom's reaction subtly imply that I am not free to make a choice I want while I am at my own home? Will I be free to d...