Mother’s Day is an occasion celebrated in various parts of the world to express respect, honor, and love towards mothers.
We got a chance to get hold of the mother-daughter duo, Chhavi Mittal & Areeza Hussein as a part of the Mother’s Day Celebration. There is no doubt mothers are guardian angels for their children, always loving and supporting them.
A mother’s bond with kids is always special. And when it comes to daughter it seems to spark up as the child grows. How would you describe your journey as a mother?
Chhavi Mittal:
My journey as a mother has been, one with ups and downs and learning curves. When I set out to be a mother, little did I know that it would be the most challenging journey by far. I feel motherhood dynamics change depending on whether you have a boy or a girl, and whether the first child is a girl or a boy. With my firstborn being a girl, I have experienced transforming into a friend from being a mother.
Areeza fulfills me in every way and also drives me up the wall. But the best part of being her mother is that I constantly learn new things about her, and the new generation, as well as new perspectives towards different things. It’s always a pleasure to have a meaningful conversation with her and do various activities with her too. With my son, Arham on the other hand, the experience is very different. He is a boy and I can see that he is less touchy about things. He is clingy and affectionate but also can play for hours by himself. He has grown up to be independent faster, but I feel that could also be because he is the second born and learns by example.
You have always been open about your battle with cancer. How did you go about explaining to your daughter about it? What was her reaction and how did she handle it?
Chhavi Mittal:
Areeza thought that I was dying because all she had ever heard about cancer was death. I realized that that was a mistake on my part as a mother. I told her that I wasn’t dying and that just the way Arham was brought home after C-section surgery, where they cut open my stomach, brought him out, and then stitched me back up and sent me home, similarly, they will cut open my breast and remove the cancer, the stitch me back up and send me home. I told her that after that she could hold my hand and take me for walks while I heal. She was very happy to hear that.
How do you like to spend your day off with Areeza?
Chhavi Mittal:
We love to go for coffee and talk. She loves talking about her friends and all her “growing up” stuff with me and takes my advice as a friend. We also learn calisthenics together and bonding for both of us.
You often seem to share an exceptional outdoor active routine with your daughter (on social media) to stay fit. Please describe how it has contributed to your and her physical, emotional & mental well-being.
Chhavi Mittal:
We do calisthenics together. I had taken her to join the class because of her love for gymnastics which she was learning before the lockdown. But when we reached the park, I did some things with her and we both decided to join together. We go twice a week and it’s a long drive and is time-consuming, I need to leave work early so I can take her and bring her back on time, but those are my favorite days of the week. We get to spend a lot of time together and I feel so proud to see her perform so well there. She is agile, full of energy and I think in the long run she will benefit a lot. If there is one regret, I have in my life it is not starting some form of physical activity in my own young days. So I don’t want to make that mistake with her. I also feel stronger as I learn to control my body in new ways.
What is Areeza’s way of celebrating a picnic and your birthday with her?
Chhavi Mittal:
Areeza celebrates mom’s birthday “by giving a gift.” Her message for her mumma “I like it when you are home with me on your birthday and I like it when we go out for lunch or dinner and I love making gifts for you and I always feel like making something bigger than what I made last year. And I really like it when you stay home on your birthday and celebrate it with me but I also want you to be happy on your birthday.”
As a mother what has been the most proud & memorable moment with her?
Chhavi Mittal:
The proud and memorable moments never cease. When she sings, or when she acts in school plays, or when she does handstands better than me or flies on the monkey bar, or she gives me advice on a matter that leaves me baffled, or takes care of Arham and pacifies him when he is not listening to anyone, these are all proud moments for me.
What is your suggestion for working mothers to spend time with their kids especially daughters, in modern times?
Chhavi Mittal:
My suggestion- you don’t need to burden yourselves with spending all the time with them, but make sure that the time you can manage to spend with them is wholesome and fulfilling. No work calls or mobiles during that time.
5 activities you and Areeza enjoy doing together?
Chhavi Mittal:
- Going out for coffee
- listening to music
- calisthenics
- gardening
- cooking
What foods do you and Areeza enjoy eating together at home and when out on a date?
Chhavi Mittal:
We love eating sushi together when out, at home we like to cook together.
Things like baking a cake, or making maggi, or nimbu pani.
One thing you have learned from your daughter?
Chhavi Mittal:
Her perspective on things amazes me. She is fresh and unadulterated and that’s what I love.
How do you plan to celebrate Mother’s Day with family and kids?
Chhavi Mittal:
For me, every day is Mother’s Day and a celebration of any sort is primarily just being together. We could be doing anything and it’s fun as long as we are together.
Cheers to all mothers on Mother’s Day!
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