Resilience | Munmun Mohanty, IIFT

In 2010, my mother lost her job and later, she was diagnosed with clinical depression and few physiological issues, owing to which she was advised to move to a different place. Being in class 9th and moving out to a new city was an intimidating prospect. My father left the decision to me and I was told that I must make a decision by being extremely pragmatic. Ideally I was expected to move with my parents since that would have made it easy for me to balance academics with the personal crisis. My mother wanted me to stay with her most of the times since our constant communication helped her calm her mind. But I decided to stay back till my board exams got over. My father was extremely supportive, but as an adolescent, I was expected to have a firm bent of mind. I was expected to not be overwhelmed by this personal crisis. I managed studies and I visited my mother every weekend. I made it a point to understand her emotional needs and catered to it. I did not neglect either of my duties. That was the time when the onus to take care of the household fell on my shoulders. Eventually, after boards, I moved out of town with my parents, for my mother to heal completely. I helped her emotionally to see the positive side of things and worked hard to normalize the stigma attached with her condition. This was a blessing in disguise as my mother recovered both mentally and physically after her surgery. Moreover, I was enrolled in one of the best schools in town after a stellar performance in the board exam. This phase proved to be one of the most formative years of my life since I learnt to deal with the crisis and overcame it.