Week 6 Story: Do you want to be a mother now?
Public Domain Edition: Mahabarata
Author sources: Arnold, Besant, Devee, Dutt, Ganguli, Kincaid, Macfie, Mackenzie, Nivedita, Seeger, and Tagore.
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Kim and Chris. They became young lovers in high school. Kim would sneak out of her house at night, as Chris threw rocks at her window. Her mother would listen to her, only 16 years old at the time, whimsically say during mother-daughter bonding pillow talks, "Mom, I am going to Chris." Kim's mom would nod along, however, she knew that the odds were out of their favor. The odds were however, because 8 years later, their relationship was better than ever, and they decided to get married. Kim's dream was to have a child and take care of him or her, nurturing them into adulthood. She was smart and valued her career, but Chris insisted: "Kim, I will work, and you can live your dream of being a full-time mother. Stay home. I can provide for us. After working, I will come home to love on my beautiful wife and baby boy or girl."
After two years of trying, Kim could not get pregnant. It was a devastating cycle for her each month, and she was desperate for a child. That night, she kneeled at her bed praying, "God give me a child. Give me a child. Give me a child. Give me a child. Give me a child. Give me a child. Give me a child..." She repeated this sentence twenty times. Well, sure enough God came and answered her prayers. He answered all of the prayers. Kim had 20 children-- ten sets of twins, all born one year apart. Her life became a tornado. It felt to her like could not even get a chance to breathe. She didn't have enough time or energy to dedicate to each individual child. Kim wanted to be a mom, but this felt like something different. She asked God, "Why would you do this to me? Twenty kids is crazy." He smirked to himself and replied, "Trust me. Be grateful. Some kids aren't able to have kids at all."
Author's Note:
This story is a retelling of Episode 28 from Mahabharata. In the original story, we are given a background of Draupadi's previous life as Nalayani, and how she came to be. In the original story, Nalayani is married to a rishi. After he takes a vow of abstinence, she prays to God, asking him to give her the affection and care from the husband she used to have. She declared "Give me a husband" and repeated this statement five times. In answering her prayers, God grants her a life where she is born again, and she is showered with intimacy for five husbands.
In this retelling, I want to highlight the love that the two main characters have. To me, the major moral takeaway is that one should be grateful for what they are given in this world. You should not demand more from the already gracious nature of your God. When a wife is desperate to conceive a child with her beloved husband, she prays and asks for a child. She repeats this statement twenty times. Similarly, God ironically gives her twenty children which causes her stress and lack of enthusiasm for motherhood she so desperately desired.
Author sources: Arnold, Besant, Devee, Dutt, Ganguli, Kincaid, Macfie, Mackenzie, Nivedita, Seeger, and Tagore.
Click!
Twenty kids, Yahoo Lifestyle
After two years of trying, Kim could not get pregnant. It was a devastating cycle for her each month, and she was desperate for a child. That night, she kneeled at her bed praying, "God give me a child. Give me a child. Give me a child. Give me a child. Give me a child. Give me a child. Give me a child..." She repeated this sentence twenty times. Well, sure enough God came and answered her prayers. He answered all of the prayers. Kim had 20 children-- ten sets of twins, all born one year apart. Her life became a tornado. It felt to her like could not even get a chance to breathe. She didn't have enough time or energy to dedicate to each individual child. Kim wanted to be a mom, but this felt like something different. She asked God, "Why would you do this to me? Twenty kids is crazy." He smirked to himself and replied, "Trust me. Be grateful. Some kids aren't able to have kids at all."
Author's Note:
This story is a retelling of Episode 28 from Mahabharata. In the original story, we are given a background of Draupadi's previous life as Nalayani, and how she came to be. In the original story, Nalayani is married to a rishi. After he takes a vow of abstinence, she prays to God, asking him to give her the affection and care from the husband she used to have. She declared "Give me a husband" and repeated this statement five times. In answering her prayers, God grants her a life where she is born again, and she is showered with intimacy for five husbands.
In this retelling, I want to highlight the love that the two main characters have. To me, the major moral takeaway is that one should be grateful for what they are given in this world. You should not demand more from the already gracious nature of your God. When a wife is desperate to conceive a child with her beloved husband, she prays and asks for a child. She repeats this statement twenty times. Similarly, God ironically gives her twenty children which causes her stress and lack of enthusiasm for motherhood she so desperately desired.
Hey Shary
ReplyDeleteSo I think you did an excellent job in simplifying the story and making it an easy bite-sized tale. This is one of the stories in the Mahabharata that I must have skimmed over because I had a hard time remembering it. Thank you for your authors note, it made it much easier to fit in the leftover pieces in my head!
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ReplyDeleteHi Shary,
ReplyDeleteI found this short story to be so interesting. It ended so much different than I expected because at first I thought it was just a love story about a young couple. I think you did a good job of including humor with the 20 kids to make it laughable and readable. Your authors note helped a lot with the background of the answered prayer, so I liked that.
The beginning of the story is so relatable for me. My boyfriend and I stated dating right after 7th grade and we are juniors in college now and it is almost 8 years later and we are still going strong. It is also my dream to be a mom. It is my worst nightmare to not be able to have children. I love the twist you did on this story. You did such a fantastic job with the story. GREAT JOB!!!
ReplyDeleteHey Shary. I loved how you took the original story and modernized it. Everyone knows a couple that has been together since high school so it makes it somewhat relatable for everyone. Your authors note did a great job of wrapping this story up and giving your perspective on it. Great job and keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteHi Shary! I have read some of your stories in the past and I can't even express to you how great of a writer you are! You always come up with some great stories based on the Epics, great job! Also, I think this story is relevant throughout the ages. I know you have taken it from Nalayani, but even today, so many people struggle to get pregnant, so the relevance is still there. I liked how you kept that "seeking to god" aspect present in this modern tale as well!
ReplyDelete