Our society is rich in values if you choose to look at these with a bookish non-critical approach. But then deep down, these very values have turned into stunted mindsets that make it difficult to soar higher than the set limits, especially for women.
When you come across a woman who has managed to do something extra with life or has managed to battle norms and frame a life around her own ambitions, you tag her as a SHERO. One such woman is Vidya Sury who has not only climbed the peaks or broken records that the society approves as heroic but has rather managed to break societal norms and #takecharge of her life, without letting opinions get in the way.
She introduces herself as a writer, blogger, editor and owns websites that include her own while also being an active contributor to numerous publications online.
Defying Traditions, Never Denying Them
The first shackle she broke was that of marrying at an age when Indian women are no longer considered of matrimonial age. Sure, she didn’t fit into the age bracket matrimony classifieds approved of, but at 33 years, she already had a fulfilling career and lived her dreams before walking down the aisle. At her time, it was a brave thing to do and with family members not exactly being supportive, Vidya had a lot to prove to the world.
Today she has chosen to take her parenting responsibilities seriously but her career is still a priority. She says, “After almost two decades in the corporate world, I chose to work from home to be a hands-on mom. I write content, blog for businesses and edit manuscripts for publishers. I do my own housework and enjoy it, because it’s the cheapest fitness routine ever, with benefits. I love cooking, travelling, photography and books.”
Diabetes Not A Hurdle
Vidya tries to appreciate the present moment because that’s all she and all of us too, can be sure of. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t have challenges to tackle. She adds, “I am also diabetic and when not working, I’m busy trying to find ways to show my diabetes who’s the boss. A typical day in my life consists of all the things I enjoy doing and sometimes, playing hide-and-seek, because - perks of #WFH. I like going on walks with my camera, passing time with children and talking to strangers.”
The best bit about Vidya is her approach towards life and parenting as a whole. She and her husband give us couple goals.
“We like to keep it flexible and don’t believe that a particular duty must be done only by one of us. But yes, we tend to do more of what we enjoy and we’ve broadly divided chores between us. When our son was an infant, both of us managed to change diapers, taking care of him, washing his clothes, singing to him and all those baby-related activities. My husband does the laundry, I enjoy doing things in the kitchen and taking care of shopping. During weekends, we both dust, sweep, swab. We take turns to do the dishes. We fold clothes together, watch TV together (not a chore, I know). When our son was in school we took turns to support him, ferry him to and fro. And when he was home, he had a list of chores too. When one of us has a work deadline, the other simply takes over and does stuff. I know - I am fortunate.”
When quizzed on her greatest area of strength, Vidya confesses that her love for her kid and the family is a weakness - while also being her strength.
How did you like this article? Let us know in the comments below.