Last week, my mother retired from government service. She has been a school teacher for 33 years, since she was 25. During these years, she always had a classroom full of overactive, whiny and noisy students – many of whom from lower strata of society who were motivated by her to attend school.
My mother Krishna Singh’s job at various government schools in Bihar, where even basic amenities did not exist, involved standing for long hours and dealing with a defiant and rude society.
Thanks to her dedication and strong will power, not only did she complete an eventful career with élan, she was never found faulting on any occasion. Unsurprisingly, she has been a role model for many in her community, among colleagues, students and parents. For her family, she has at all times served as the strongest role model. She means everything to us and a lot to all those who have met her.
My mother has contributed so much to the society, by dedicating herself to every job she was assigned and still raised me, my elder sister and my elder brother while continuing to be the most productive member in our community. I have never come across a person with such great positive attitude.
It was really great to see her waking up at her own time, doing her own things, reading newspaper, cooking, not stressing, travelling to her school, managing money, keeping records, planning insurance, saving taxes, and keeping an excellent health. It has been great so far. She’s been able to be very active; and sort of her own boss, always.
My mother had had her education from prestigious institutions like Chapman Girls’ High School, MDDM College and Bihar University, and she excelled at all these places. As a teacher, her best stint was at the Harihar Narayan Kanya Madhya Vidyalaya where, incidently, she also began her studies. Other schools where she taught included Nitishwar Madhya Vidyalaya, Rajkiya Madhya Vidyalaya (Muraul) and Rajkiya Kanya Madhya Vidyalaya Mahila Shilp Kala Bhawan. She retired while teaching at Rajkiya Madhya Vidyalaya Indradaman at Muzaffarpur city.
Now, as she is visited by well-wishers, friends and former colleagues, she discusses her action-packed career with them and describes how wonderful has her retirement been. But I know for sure, my Maa will never retire. Retirement will simply be the beginning of a new life for her. I wish her a fantastic time ahead and believe she’ll live reasonably comfortably enough and can maybe do some travel and enjoy things that she had put off.
Every child considers his mom as the best. But for me, my mother has been a very very special person. In all the world, there is no other to take the place of my dear mother. We’ve laughed together, cried together. Through this blog, I want the world to know how much I love her. She is my heroine.
Maa tujhe salaam…
Watch the famous Maa Song from tare zameen par. Or Meri duniya hai maain S.D.Burman’s voice from the movie Talash (1959).
Neeraj Bhushan 
Such a superb spray of emotions and strength Neeraj…
Very few people realize the value of their parents and acknowledge their sacrifices…
U r one such amazing person…
I so agree with Sanjay Bhagat …So true. We must appreciate and tell our parents what they mean to us.
Many a congrats to u all and all the best for all the bests in life……:)))
My Salutations too…!!!
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I join you in saluting your mother.
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Your mother sounds like a wonderful, inspirational woman. A very good role model. Your admiration and love for her do both you and her credit. 🙂
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Mamaji, It was really nice going through your post on Naniji. All of us liked it. Maa and Papa also appreciated it. Parikshit
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Dear Neeraj Jee,
Thanks a lot for sharing such emotions. I pray to Almighty for best of the health and all the happiness in future for your (sounds narrowness rather Ours) mother.
In this so called fast paced life …kind of life being executed by her is truly inspirational for those who are always behind each and every reasons and consequence of life.
Once again wishing all the very best.
Thanks / Sumit
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Dear Neeraj,
I liked your way of remembering your mother and all what she has meant to you and those who have known her. Good people do exert the moral pressure of goodness on others too.
Having met her, I have liked her sense of stoic calm, felt that strong inner determination and someone with values.
It also helped me think about my mother and the special person she is. I have often thought about writing all what I have learnt from her and all that she has done for our family in her own selfless way. I feel that she made my world beautiful.
All best wishes to your mother as she enters a new phase of life, post-retirement.
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Dear Neeraj,
You are truly a proud son of your mother Mrs. Krishna Singh. May God bless her with good days ahead.
One like her does not retire but re-tyres.
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Dear Friends,
Neeraj’s postings are often seconded by me — not because I kind of adding momentum to his documentations, rather because on several grounds we share common thoughts — and this one is no exception.
Recall the last night my mother breathed. My heart literally comes out to think about her feelings for me. She was in great pain, had grown very weak to do things by herself and still she did not wake me or called me because she didn’t want to bother me in the middle of the night and continued to take all the pain, till in the very early morning I could realize that she was sinking. We made it fast to AIIMS, but then it was all over.
Same goes for my father, who, when detected advance stage of cancer, was more worried about the problems in getting a death certificate from U.P. and consistently pressed us for getting him admitted in a Delhi-based hospital rather than keeping at home, so that getting his death certificate after his departure becomes easier for me. However, having been told about his prognosis by the doctors, we preferred to keep him at home during his last couple of weeks.
I am lucky that they were my parents and I was born to the best parents in the world. My heartiest tributes to them.
Dear friends, all of us are not that lucky to have our parents with us today, but those of you who are lucky enough to have them, understand their values in your life. There is NO ONE who can even be a partial replacement for our parents.
Take utmost care of your parents. They have done so much for you and will continue to do till they survive. All of us understand their values while rearing our own child. How small things of our children matter so much for us today. It must have mattered the same way for our parents when we were the age of our children.
Regards all.
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Maa is always the best across. It is really nice to hear that your mother has been so selflessly active in a field that deserves greatest of the attention from us all. Your share would be more engaging if you could add further where she worked, what kind of takes her job entailed etc. Thanks for sharing. Amy She bless us all. Regards.
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