Every day I resolve that I will come back home from office in time. My parents keep telling me that I must pay more attention to my responsibilities. I agree and I feel guilty too. Each day, I decide that I will create more balance in my life, divide my time equally etc…however that does not happen. There are times that I am able to get out in time but then I am caught up in buying vegetables and other household stuff which again makes me late. I come back home tired. My child looks at me and asks me about a home work. I tell her but my brain and body refuse to cooperate. My child tells me about the day that went by, I listen but at times my comprehension abilities are nil…Is this how we single mothers are supposed to bring up this generation?  Is this how we will live, forever struggling, forever running? Single families are increasing but there is no acknowledgement from the government. I am not talking about the benefits. I am talking about simple things.

Despite my husband having passed away almost a decade back, my child’s school report card has her father’s name on it….with a word ‘late’. This gives rise to so many questions in a child’s mind. Why can’t some one put the mothers name? Include the father’s name in the record but not in the card. When applying for visa or passport, why does a woman have to give a death certificate? Why can’t you just travel with your status alone? Is married or unmarried or single or widowed or divorced so much a part of the woman’s identity?

Why are we being ruled by rules so prosaic? So medieval? So old?