A Family of Pioneers

I believe I come from a family of pioneers, female pioneers. Each woman in my family has in her own way crafted her own world and is happy with it. I never had the pleasure of meeting my mother’s mother but I believe her to be the start of this pioneering gene. I am not talking about scientific inventions or social movements, I am speaking of those little and big decisions the women in my family made to be who they are and be proud of their achievements. 

Two generations ago, my grandmother was the first woman in the family who decided she needed an education. Most of us confuse education and literacy with knowing and studying in English. But this is not true in several parts of the world. My grandmother was perfectly literate in Urdu and expertly educated about the Bible. I have seen copies of her Bible and have been mesmerised by her class and elegance. My grandmother made another crucial decision; she decided that her daughter would get an education too.

My mother was the first college educated woman in her family. She was also the first woman to be a woman of career. She instilled in me and my sisters the importance of having a job and what it means to be financially independent. I believe if we had not seen her working as a respectable teacher most of her life, we would not be able to take our jobs seriously. Two generations of educated women can do wonders to a family. Not only did the finances come in but the ‘way ahead of time’ family planning wisdom and the need of being equal to the brothers and husbands came along with it. So when I was told as a child I am just like my mother who is very stubborn in her ideals, I took it as a compliment. I still take it as a compliment and am one proud daughter.

My twin sister broke all the moulds academically and professionally. Academically she is brilliant and professionally she is the first woman in the family to aspire to something big. By the time we came into the job market, things had changed immensely for women. We were surrounded by women pioneers and our aspirations grew. 

My younger sister is the combined personality of all the pioneers in the family. She is gentle like my grandmother, witty and smart like my mother and hardworking like my twin sister. She is the first woman in the family because of whom we could consider sports as an alternative to a career behind a desk. She has been successful in carrying her sporting ethics into her work place and is able to flourish beyond the reach of her peers and competitors. 

As for me, I guess I am the first one to scribble my thoughts on a paper for the world to read. It is impossible to not be inspired coming from a family of pioneers.