Family & Single Parenthood

Family & Single Parenthood

( by Pragya Kumar )

A tall banyan tree stood in the backyard of my grandparent's place which was cut down recently. As a child with not much knowledge, I always thought that it was of no use and could be replaced with a small pond. But my grandfather always believes that one day I would be the one who could miss its presence when it's gone. Now that I see its majestic branches fall to my feet, it broke me. The tree has been a fictitious home to my childhood innocence, an escape to my emotional adolescence, and a companion to my steady adulthood. In the years of falling generations, it stood broad and tall providing the same warmth and shade to the new progeny.  Its absence today makes me realize that it was much more than just a tree. It was an epitome of nurturing, a souvenir of my classic upbringing, and most importantly transparency of parenting.

With the revolution of time, the condensation of the family became a trend. The vogue limited itself from fully-fledged joint family to nuclear and furthermore to single parenthood. A window of change emerged in the firmly embedded walls of family structure when Sushmita Sen, the crowned miss universe adopted a girl child and pledged to raise her till eternity and also when Rachel improvises the ordinary character on television by portraying the life of a single mother. The flamboyant bend of orthodoxy towards family culture has always been an elevated opinion. An invisible bond that binds a family together has always been dominant over the lucent single parenthood. It is easy to break a single stick rather than a whole bunch. Today the choice and circumstances have led the people to adopt this single parenthood. It may be a decision of self-respect or values but it requires a series of guts to accomplish it. A census conducted in the year 2000 said that approximately 30% of babies were born to single mothers. An American drama film “GIFTED” written by Tom Flynn struck the lightning bolt of men parenthood out casting the prior nuances of parenting that gelled the roots of our society. In India single parenthood it believed to be an influence of the western culture over us. But I stand against it with the thought that parenting is something totally personal for a human being. One can be plunged with the established opinions about parenthood but one can never understand it until he acquires it.  I totally agree when ELIZABETH BERG says,” you are born into your family and your family is born in you. No returns and no exchanges”. The family stands tall in your thick and thin then how does it matter whether it is a single person family or a group of loved ones. The only thing that matters is the pride and intensity with which you call them your family. They say that there is no such thing as a perfect parent. So just be a real one. I see single parenthood as one of the strongest flux of life. Though it requires an added spirit of responsibilities, a higher pedestal of upbringing that is what the real challenge is. In the crowd of parents when the child sees his single mother jumping and hooting her heart out when he catches the last baton of relay and runs for the victory that enthusiasm defines the godliness of being a single parent. Also when you see a father garnishing the haphazard cut vegetables just to see her little one seize the trophy of the junior master chef thus shutting down the allegations of a failed single parenthood.

Juxtaposing the two, they both have their own importance in the course of time. We cannot step on one and jump on the other. The family was and will be the foundation of what we are as a person but it not wrong to accept the fact that single parenthood also exists and is working hard to be recognized. Time is changing and it is important to change with time. It provides you with a different and transparent outlook. There is no harm to have a dynamic opinion and single parenthood is one of it.

Disclaimer:-

The opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of Light de Literacy and LDL does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.