Dear younger me,
I gladly reminiscent the day you fought with your parents to pursue further education to prove yourself and to enrich your mind. I remember how infuriated you were when you heard about a rape victim and wrote about it on social media platforms. I remember how you wanted to be the change and break the cultural norms for yourself and the generations to come. You were admonished repeatedly and criticized openly yet you believed in your dreams and abilities. Here are some of the things you did dissimilarly and that have made all the difference.
You longed for experiences: Instead of the number of cars you could own or the size of your wardrobe, what mattered to you was the experiences you could have. You were adventurous and were ready to sail through the tides of experiences that even your parents had never foreseen. Materials did not matter to you as much as spending a fun-filled evening with your loved ones or learning something about life.
You were a feminist: Unlike your mothers and grandmothers, you wanted to come out of the drudgery of the household chores. You knew that you would have to marry one day but you were ready to take up the responsibilities of not only yourself but also of your family. Your boyfriends and your husband motivated you for the same. You all aimed at making the world a safer place for women and wanted them to have equal rights.
You explored: You wanted to travel all around the globe and interact with the people from various cultures. You were eager to see the white deserts and the geysers. Your parents never understood your wanderlust but you pursued your interest anyway.
You valued a person of worth: Though your parent told you about how wealthy his friend was and was in awe of the number of businesses he had inherited; when you saw your friend, you tried to see the substance he was made up of. Was he diligent? Did he have a sound mentality? You looked past the class, caste and colour of a person.
You chose to be open-minded: You were ready to cover up the number of sexual encounters your friend had from the elders. Being a virgin was no longer a rigid criterion for men to choose their wives. You chose your partner wisely by spending time with him and gauging your compatibility with him instead of following the age-old tradition of an arranged marriage. Having a divorce with someone you could not get along with became acceptable. You did not wish to exclude the gays and bisexuals because of their sexual orientation.
You were smarter: You wanted to become more efficient in life and you had google at your fingertips to get any information you wanted. You hated the idea of searching for a book for a long time in a library.
You toiled: The time of the day did not matter to you. You and your friends were committed to their work and each one of you wanted to curve out a successful life. You had a thirst for knowledge and you were willing to sacrifice your leisure hours for the same.
You were not without your fears yet you mirrored them and learnt to discard them. You had the determination, the dynamism and the daring spirit that enabled the world to become better than what your fathers could create. For the way you readily helped your friends, for realizing the value of good education on time and finally for the experiences you gained and the world you made, I am thankful.
