Happiness is not by chance; it is by choice

What makes a woman successful in Life? Is it the sacrifices she does by being a homemaker? Is it the challenges she faces balancing personal & professional life? Or is it simply following her passion or dreams to be what she really wants to be in Life? Women of this generation have been more vocal in expressing, taking additional responsibilities to do what they love, in spite of their household chores, managing family, children, etc. doing what they love, face situations of a male dominant world, and being vocal about gender equality or you name it.

Here is a story of a lady who had choices to make for her life, during her tough times, especially Covid times. Mugdha Lale hailed from Ahmednagar and had a successful career.

“Life indeed has been a roller coaster ride. As a child, my life began at daycare centers when I was as young as 2 months as my parents were working.  With my parents around, I was still ok to leave my daughter at the hands of my grandparents. But, I had to take a tough decision when we relocated to Malaysia, I did not have a better choice other than leaving a job that I had earned on merit, sincere efforts, and pride. Taking care of the toddler was equally important too. It was a tough decision.

My ambitions & talent were at loggerheads. I had this feeling of all my passions were dying down to situations that took over my life. But, somewhere in the corner of my mind, I was nurturing my thoughts and this started taking shape when I began going to drop my daughter to play home. Watching teachers manage children inspired me to do something similar on similar lines. When I reached India, I did not hesitate to take up a similar offer that came my way from a private school. I had utilized my spare time to upgrade my knowledge by taking up relevant courses that could support the profession I had planned to choose and it worked well.

Life seemed to be just perfect as things had started working the way we wanted. We were unaware of the surprises life would throw upon us. Thanks to Covid. It was like a litmus test. Life almost came to a standstill due to the pandemic & we were clueless about how life would take shape next. My choice of having opted to teach Pre-Primary children saved me. The institution was quick to adapt to the latest technology of Online classes and soon, I was doing what I was doing earlier, online. It was a totally new experience for teachers, parents as well as students.

During the new phase of online classes, I had an opportunity to interact with students along with their parents who used to sit through the lectures. It was challenging to engage nursery kids throughout the duration knowing the fact that children had a short span of attention. In midst of all this, we had to face the toughest challenge of our life. I was down with Covid. Along with medication, staying strong from within was the need of the hour. I gathered the courage to continue taking up classes in spite of my extreme health conditions. Though Covid symptoms were severe, the thought of interacting with my students continued to help me to overcome the health conditions. Parents encouraged me when they knew I was conducting online classes while I was undergoing Covid treatment. With time, I had recovered.

Time passed by. Schools reopened. Our school welcomed Kids & Teachers with a few programs & award functions. It was the first time that I was meeting the children face to face. They were so overwhelmed. From nowhere, in midst of the crowd, two children came running to me and hugged me. The joy it got into my life was priceless. It was a mission accomplished. Happiness is not by chance; it is the choice we make for our lives. I had rediscovered myself. Life indeed is beautiful.