The Day I Felt Proud… As a Mother and As Myself

Today was Day 1 of Olam Fest 2026.

And honestly…

It was not just an event.

It was a day I want to hold on to.

👶 Watching My Baby… Discover the World

There was Kutti Olam for the little ones.

My baby is just 20 months old.

At first…

She was shy.

Hiding behind me.

Not ready to interact.

And for a moment, I felt a little regret.

Should I have taken her out more?

To parks… to play areas… to such spaces?

But then…

Something changed.

Within a few minutes, she started exploring.

Slowly.

On her own.

She went to different toys.

Tried everything.

Climbed.

Sat.

Observed.

Moved on.

If something didn’t interest her…

She simply left it.

And went to the next.

No hesitation.

No fear.

Just… curiosity.

Even when the staff tried to help her,

she first resisted.

But when they gave her space—

She engaged.

And then…

She started responding.

Smiling.

Playing.

Even posing for photos.

That moment?

I paused.

👉 “That’s my girl…”

There was even a big bunny mascot.

At first, she was unsure.

But she kept observing.

And then…

She joined.

She danced.

She interacted.

And I stood there…

feeling something I can’t fully explain.

Not just happiness.

But a quiet pride.

She even got a small prize—

because she tried almost everything there.

Her first one.

And for me?

That meant everything.

🌱 A Realisation About Parenting

While watching her…

I noticed something about myself.

I don’t force her.

I don’t say—

“Go there”

“Do this”

“Try that”

I just…

follow her.

I let her explore.

At her pace.

In her way.

Only if something is unsafe—

I step in.

Otherwise…

I let her be.

And today, in that space full of parents…

I realised—

👉 This is my kind of parenting.

I never named it before.

But today, I saw it clearly.

✍️ Finding My Space… As a Writer

There was also a poetry event.

A collaboration between The Reading Room and Unlinked Poetry.

The concept was beautiful—

“Poetree”

A tree without leaves.

And each of us…

writing poems on leaf-shaped papers…

and tying them to the branches.

We become the leaves.

We fill the tree.

Today’s theme was:

👉 “Celebrate”

I reached late.

Very late.

I got only two minutes to write.

No preparation.

No thinking.

Just… writing.

And when my turn came…

I read it.

Celebrate…

this word feels special to me.

It reminds me of my grandmother,

the face of my mother.

Holding my baby for the first time—

that was the most beautiful celebration

I have ever felt.

But that is not all.

I celebrate myself—

because I have evolved

around these women.

So let me rewrite

redefine,

reframe this word…celebrate

For me—

👉 I celebrate womanhood.

Every single day.

Applause.

Real, genuine applause.

People around me said “wow”.

They connected.

They felt it.

And for the first time…

I felt something very clear inside me.

👉 “This is where I belong.”

🌊 A Full Circle Moment

At one side—

I was watching my baby explore her world.

At the other—

I was standing in my own space…

sharing my words.

And somewhere in between…

I realised something.

We were both…

exploring.

Becoming.

Trying.

Learning.

In our own ways.

💛 Gratitude

Yes, my mama got tired.

She was running behind my baby the whole time.

We had to come back early.

But even with all that…

This day felt full.

So I just want to say—

👉 Thank you, Universe.

For this day.

For this moment.

For this feeling.

Because today…

I didn’t just attend an event.

I saw:

my child becoming herself myself becoming more of me

And that…

is something I will always remember. 🌿💛