Tuesday 15 March 2016

#ItsMyTurn and yours too!


Life has its way of sneaking your way most important lessons and reminders. Recently, my husband and I had one such moment. My son turned five and amidst the ‘You’re a big boy now!’ conversations where he proudly puffed his chest and stood on tip-toe to look bigger, he suddenly turned thoughtful, clearly mulling over the idea. We knew something was coming, but we weren’t prepared for what came our way. A moment of pause later he asked us both, ‘So does this mean that after I turn five I have to start taking care of you now?

It is funny how the most casual of conversations with a child can weigh so valuable when given the right regard. It was a good question, with no one correct answer. We jokingly let him know ‘Yes, now’s a good time like any!’ even as we flashbacked on everything our parents did for us, small things and big – from making us learn to walk and talk to teaching us values of living like good human beings; from tending to us in our illnesses, even if a sneeze, to celebrating every milestone of ours like it was the most special! What is it that they haven’t done to get us where we sit today, we thought together.

My son’s question led to another question in our minds - When exactly does it become our turn to take care of our parents? While we pay it forward to the next generation we cannot forget giving back the care and affection to the previous one either. 

And one of the better ways to ensure their comfort is a good health insurance which can help them tide over health issues and medical emergencies without any hassle or worry! 

Religare Health Insurance #ItsMyturn campaign is helping people do that, by single-mindedly encouraging us to keep our parent’s health, happiness and well-being at the forefront. This campaign by a specialist health insurer offers the tech-savvy youth, living in very busy times a thoughtful platform to express their care towards their parents and ensure their overall wellness. 

The premise is simple and beautiful – Just like we have needed our parents as pillars of strength, in their old age they need us to be those pillars too. And an act of love, no matter how small, highlights that. After all, we will all grow old someday … 

As a part of the month-long celebration of parents, Religare Health Insurance #ItsMyturn is encouraging audiences to pledge to ‘insure’ their parents’ health and happiness. This is seamlessly integrated with their product Care Freedom, which does not require any pre-policy medical check-up, thus making it extremely convenient for parents. Not just that! Benefits like shorter waiting period of just 2 years to cover pre-existing diseases and no upper age limit for enrollment are some of the other advantages. 

And because expression of love is important, technology is being used to garner messages from audiences across the country for their parents, on the “Wall of Care”. Drop one right here.  

When exactly does it become our turn to take care of our parents? We say no time like now to say with love #ItsMyturn!

Friday 4 March 2016

Unladylike by Radhika Vaz




Radhika Vaz dedicates her memoir Unladylike to 'All the unladies out there who refuse to be bound by the rules of femininity.' A new category of women has been announced; one which is unconventional, honest and thus powerful. The book becomes not just an exercise in retrospection for the author but an invitation extended to the female readers to re-examine all expectations laid on women.

Calling this a coming-of-age story would be forcing it to wear such a serious robe as would suit neither the book’s effortless humour nor its author. But, if it wasn’t that where from stem the bouquet of lessons, learnt and unlearnt, which fill the book to the brim? Echoing right after the comedian’s sassy voice is a 40-year-old woman’s voice, mapping her journey of not just growing up but also growing towards freedom of self. From a schoolgirl trying to belong to a woman struggling to “un-belong”, the story follows a neat chronology of “becoming”...

It is noticeable how Radhika Vaz doesn’t come from a typical Indian family. With parents who were much ahead of their times letting her hold her reins most of her life, Radhika’s brand of feminism had few battles of deprivation or denial to fight. Her memoir makes no attempt to colour that, and she makes no attempt to not reject conventions which she believes in, even. Thus, ultimately, she finds a balance in her life by making conscious choices at every phase.


With this honesty and balance, she invites you to view your own life as you view hers; an exchange of perspectives on having to adapt to changing context—emotionally, physically and socially. Lessons on relationships emerge as Radhika wonders ...

Click here to read the full review


[First printed in Complete Wellbeing magazine, March 2016.] 
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...