Yes, she is Mrs Pratibha Raman, my mother-in-law's sister. She got married during the sixties in her twenties. Both she and her husband were from middle class families and were not very rich. They faced ups and downs in life, and at times had financial constraints. Her husband had his own buisness. Unfortunately the business crashed and he had to switch over to employment. He earned enough to run his family of self, wife, aged mother, two sons and a daughter.
       Tragedy struck her brother-in-law who passed away at a young age leaving his two sons under her care. The boys had earlier lost their mother also. Mrs.Pratibha gave them parental love and treated them like her own sons. A devoted mother and wife she had to rear five growing children in their teens. Also, she had to attend on her ailing mother-in-law. She had to work round the clock like a machine, but she never wilted under pressure. I doubt whether during this time she had visited cinema halls, eateries and places of entertainment. But she took part in religious functions.Her efforts to maintain the family despite an ailing mother-in-law and a large family shows her zest for life. Because of her tactful management the children never felt the pinch of money. Though her husband earned enough to run the family, she could never think of saving money, because rearing five children means mounting expenses. But she took things in her strides. About three years back she lost her dear husband. She had good rapport with her consumer activist husband. An ideal husband and wife team. Still she never lost her cool and continues life's journey with her children and grandchildren.The "saving grace" is all her children are well settled in life. Celebrating a marriage is no mean task. But she with her husband's support celebrated the wedding of all her five children, which is no mean achievement by today's standard. It is her will power that triumphed.
         I admire her for her courage and do-or-die attitude. She gave all the children good education and made them stand on their own legs. All said and done she's the perfect role model of an Indian Mother.

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