34 Unquestioning Acceptance

Jupiter and the Monkey: Jupiter organised a show where all the beasts could bring their offsprings. The best offspring in Jupiter's opinion would get a prize. A monkey brought her offspring, a hairless, flat nosed little fright. On seeing it, Jupiter and all the other gods burst into laughter. The monkey hugged her little one and told them, "You may give your coveted prize to any one you like the best. But to me, my baby is the most beautiful of them all.".

Uma, a bank employee, gave birth to a spastic child. The relatives advised her to institutionalise the child and said, "After all you are young. You can get another baby. It will be healthy.” But Uma was firm and told them, "The apple of my eye need not be yours too. Ganesh is a special child. I will look after him.” To ensure giving her undivided attention and raise Ganesh, she did not conceive again.

Comments

Uma is a role model of an ideal mother. She is real. I know some more like her. But most parents expect the ideal height, ideal weight, ideal features and complexion in their children. The societal concept of 'ideal' is often what is portrayed in the media. Majority of people look down upon persons with less than ideal characteristics. They may institutionalise these unfortunate persons, and enforce drug treatment or unwarranted surgery like hysterectomy upon them. Once, I was approached by a middle class mother of a 16-year old infantile dwarf girl. She offered her child for any kind of research 103

purposes, but only if we promised not to hand over the girl back to her!

Enlightened public should accept non-modifiable factors in individuals and manage them in a humane way. Like Uma did.

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