Hello Littlers,

This is Kamal Budhabhatti, CEO at Little. As we are celebrating a very important emotion in our life today, I want to share some things about my Mother. You may think this is a fantasy story, but a lot of it is true as narrated by my grandmother several times over and over again. I will keep it as short as possible.

I am a Kenyan now, but I was born in India. In those early days when my Mom was a teenager, we in India had several small kingdoms, and my mother was from one of those Royal Families. She was outstandingly gorgeous. Her dad wanted her to get married at an early age to the royal son of the bordering kingdom. However, she had something else in her heart.

And then there was this handsome, extremely genius guy, though he was a simple worker, selling newspapers in the same town saving coins for his education. They both liked each other. Since there was no way her father would allow them to marry, so one fine night she ran away with this newspaper guy, leaving her royal life behind and everything monetary. He could have gotten killed, so with the help of some loyal friends they had to run away to some faraway town and got married.

After a few years, as many romantic stories, there came a sad twist. My mother and my father were not able to continue together, so they walked on their own ways. I was born around that time. My mother raised me as a single Mother. Her father tried severally to welcome her back, but she decided to fight her own battle. Don’t hate my father, he was there for me in the hour of my need.

One of these days, I will write a book about her. She and I have several memorial memories. However, let me share some of the things I learned from her.

  • Take full responsibility for your actions.
    Like when she was having a hard time with my father, she could have easily gone back to her rich father. However, she owned up her decision and decided to fight her own battle. She had very high self-esteem, and I am proud of her. It can be a debate whether it was the right decision or an emotional decision. Whatever the case, she taught me to own the decisions we make.

 

  • Don’t bother to have a Plan B
    Many of you may not agree to this. However, this has worked quite well for me, both in my personal life as well as professional life. She used to tell me when you have Plan B, you would not put all your heart and soul on your plan, and anytime it gets harder going, you would leave your plan to your
    alternative plan B, and then plan B becomes plan C and then plan D. For you to achieve your dreams, just have one plan, and put all your heart and soul to it.

 

  • When you are confused, follow your heart and not your head.
    She used to tell me all the time. When you are confused or not able to make a choice, just put your hand on your heart, close your eyes and listen to it. And once your heart says something, just do it without bringing your head in between.

Craft Silicon which I founded is now a large company. My second company Little, the App that provides rides, food, and payment is also getting big. A part of my earnings which I put into Craft Silicon Foundation which provides free computer education now operates in several countries. There are many a time I have made my challenging business decision based on my gut feeling, and luckily most times they have worked quite well for me.

I am generally an introverted person. I hardly talk. I rarely socialize. I could have a lot in my heart to speak, but I just can’t speak out. I find it very hard for me to express my feelings.

Some years back, she had a serious road accident. Luckily, she survived, but she had a critical brain injury. She had to be operated on in her head and a part of her brain was removed to save her life. Now she hardly remembers anything. She has lost most of her memories.

I had so much to share with my mother. Both Personal and Professional. Now when I am with her, I talk to her and tell her everything that’s happening in my life. But because of her injury, she barely reacts to anything. I want her to advise me, I want her to share her wisdom with me, I want to brag her about my success, I want to express my feeling. But no luck.

I wish I had opened up my heart to her when she was okay. Now I regret it. I regret almost every day of my life why I never told her how much I loved her and how her upbringing has helped me in my life and everything that is in my heart.

I want to advise you all. Everyone reading this. If you have to express your feelings to your mother, or your father or your sister or your spouse or your boo, or whoever that matters to you, please speak it out. Do it today or at the earliest opportunity. Do not keep it inside. Things can go wrong any day and you may not get a chance to tell them, like me 

I now stay with this regret and would continue carrying it till I die.

Happy Mothers Day!