Substitute for a Joint Family

Last week me and my two friends were chatting in the Sauna Room at the Gym. We all were talking about our over 40 health issues, me feeling dizzy, A feeling up and down and S having her hot flushes. I always look forward to go to the Gym because of those conversations. I feel I am not the only one and its OK to feel the way I am feeling because every Women feels some sort of these things at some point or at some phase in her life and its normal. I am the kind of person who just likes to confront any problem and not hide it, I never hide when I am happy or successful then why hide when I am down or sad or when I really need help. I think, that is real life and then only you know know who your real friends and well wishers are and trust me if you want you will get enough opportunities to return the favor. Then I realized no matter what culture, country or place you come from, all the women face the same biological issues at different phases of their lives.

I was telling them how I grew up in a Joint family and how my Grandmas, Aunts and we all cousins used to hang out together. It really feels like yesterday. Ours was and it still is a family of four Grandfathers, my Grandfather was the eldest. We all, around 25 people still live together in this big Haveli in the heart of the City. I am not saying its all good, their are always issues as well but hey, if there are five dishes they make noises too. But if you would calculate the positive list of the Joint family will definitely overcome the negative one and I think we learn a lot of compromise as well. We have four sections in the big Haveli, all the families have different kitchens, so you are sort of together and separate too. After your chores are done you can hang out and there is always someone to give you support in times of need and there are always people to celebrate festivals, functions etc.

I remember how all the women used to hang out after their chores were done, you will bump into people while hanging your washing, in the stairs etc. I remember my aunts used to come visit my Mom all the time and sometimes they used to get really quite in the conversations. Now I know why? They would have also discussed their family and health issues with each other.

Now, I think I have to make the most of where I live and to me I found my substitute of Joint family in my apartment building, while doing my courses, meeting my women clients for threading and in the Gym. I cannot thank God for giving me so many people in my life. Where people are concerned, I was always surrounded by them, and then I come from India, the most populated country, so I was really spoiled and still am.

I think the bottom line is what I feel, we as women need women in our lives because we all go through the same things, be it children issues, health issues or we not being understood by men for certain things, lets face it we as women are not complicated, we are from Mars and the Men are from Venus, it is a known fact and then God made us like that.

Now we in our Sauna rounds can talk about our issues and everyone has gone through one of those things, or is going through and someone know more in some fields and some one in another. It just works fine for us and there is also no pressure of real socializing either, its just so casual and stress free and we get to do our daily fitness as well.

So, I would really say, going to the gym or to your Yoga and Pilates class is not bad at all. You never know what all and who all you will find there. So for me its like shooting two fishes with an arrow.