The Woman Who Made Me: My mirror image
Photo courtesy Anette Varghese.
March is Women’s History Month, a month dedicated to highlighting the contributions of women to events in history and contemporary society. As a part of The Woman Who Made Me series, The Sidekick student life editor Anette Varghese describes how she and her mother are alike.
March 22, 2022
I learned to walk along beaches that were brimming with white sand and had crystal clear waves lapping at the shore of the Sunshine State, Florida. I was often chased by a newly immigrated mother of two toddlers, who ushered me to run faster.
My mother, Sali Varghese, is not someone who is fond of change, but she made the choice to move abroad from Kerala, India. Thus began a chain reaction that would end with me sitting in my bedroom writing in fluent English, choosing the right words to perfectly articulate how her effort changed the entire trajectory of my life.
No one has ever known her to be afraid of anything, so it was a shock to her when her youngest daughter was afraid of everything from heights to water. She was so fearless in fact that she annually reminds me of my first grade fill-in-the-blank Mother’s Day card chalk full of lies that so eloquently states her fear of snakes, mice and bugs.
Fears aside, we are quite alike. I developed her love for time management, and occasionally, a sharp tongue. We share similar face shapes, and thankfully, I take after her in the eyebrow department. I also plan to follow her bold steps into the medical field as a nurse.
Something she is fond of is consistency. Throughout our many “permanent” home addresses in America, my mom has been sure to take us to church, especially on Sundays, which is why I can accurately tell you which church in New Mexico has the best ambiance for a nap. Which is why I have never made plans on a single Sunday morning since age 4, but I also value that consistency in my life.
Both of us choose the silent treatment as our choice method of punishment when upset. Both of us are morning people, and both of us like our coffee black. While I might be exactly five-and-a-quarter inches taller than my mom, if she squints extra hard she might see just a sliver of how much she has built me.
Follow Anette (@AnetteVarghese) and @CHSCampusNews on Twitter.
