Life is not same for everyone. Still we sail in the same boat.

I was 26 when I got married. I thought I would enjoy life as it was for a while and then, after two years, think about having children. During that time, both of us decided to quit our jobs and try something of our own — perhaps start a business. We felt that working in insurance and having a code would be a good alternative to a regular job. We even began doing a few health insurance policies.

My mother was a tailor, and since I had a sewing machine too, I started tying tassels for sarees. Later, I thought of making saree kuchus with crochet designs. It went really well — with less investment and good profit.

Meanwhile, I often thought: life is going smoothly now, but if we aren’t able to give a proper life to our own child — emotionally and financially — then why bring a child into the world? Parenthood is one path in life, while financial goals are another. Managing time for family, emotional stability, and financial challenges — these are all different paths that must be carefully balanced.

By the time I turned 28, an echo within me began to whisper: Will your age support pregnancy? If you keep postponing, even if you earn well later, after 35 or 40 no amount of money can buy the happiness of children, the joy of parenthood, the warmth of family — the purpose that gives life its meaning. What will you do with money alone?

It was stressful. I had a good job, my own business, and I knew that if I kept going, my financial position would only improve. But having a child meant stepping away from all that — leaving a part of myself behind and moving forward toward what was coming next.

Today, I am a mother of two sons — one is eight years old, and the other is two. When I look back, it’s been eight years of nurturing, caring, and giving every piece of myself to them. In that process, I often forget to eat, to rest, to take care of myself. There’s no one to appreciate or reward me, no one to say, “You’re doing great,” not even someone to hand me a glass of water.

And now I truly feel — everyone’s life is different, but in the end, we all get into the same boat and learn to sail through it.