Editor’s Note:From matrimonial columns to advertisements – it is always, unfortunately about fair skinned. but judging a child by her skin colour. Can a mother accept that? Find out how our member Shalumurthy feels. Share your views with us here.
As with every other drama, this might include, tears, grumbling, frustrations and utter despair, so kindly bear with me.
Being a mother of a 4 month old baby, i’m sleep deprived. Add on the postpartum depressions, i would be ready to cry at every single turn of events, be it good or bad! And this colorful woe has just got me thinking, what is that people look in each other.
The first impression of another person generally starts with their physical appearance.Accepted, but i was generally of the opinion that one would notice their habits, clean finger nails, combed hair, ironed clothes and might be a big good old smile to keep things on track.
But as usual, I’m wrong! It’s not just the ‘mentioned characteristics’, it has more!
The color of one’s skin tone!!
Astonished? well i was. Recently i came across an article where a young seventeen year old girl was ashamed of her own culture just because she was dark among her fair skinned peers. I was more shocked to notice how deep her scars were when i had read the article fully. Though the girl had grown up, survived the skin tone drama and emerged strong, my mind wheel has started churning out vague thoughts.
So ultimately beauty is being fair skinned?? So what would dark skinned people like me do?? Being in a country like India, where most of the seasons are summer, isn’t it obvious? The most funny thing i felt in this whole fair skinned Hamhung is the need and urge people have to look fair.
Growing up i’ve always wanted to look like my fair skinned cousin. the main reason being i would look lovely in photos. Later another reason popped up. Boys would find me pretty. As in every other story, i realized very late that beauty is not fair skinned, but beauty is being fair at heart.
Few days back, my fair skinned cousin and her mom came home to see my LO. My mom was busy serving the guest. My cousin’s mom was using a particular word in Tamil to call my baby and when i heard it i was really surprised. the word literally meant “Black Lady”. Adding on to this drama, when my cousin was leaving, she made sure she expressed her views to me. She said she loves to play with a dark skinned baby and that dark skinned babies look good! Now i was angry and Frustrated.
How can one be so shallow to see the skin tone of a 4 month old baby? Won’t you be floating in the clouds seeing her toothless smile and listening to her baa and boos!! She is a baby!! One must be able to see God in her, but guess my cousin and her mother have a lot to learn.
This incident made me think! It made me ponder. Is skin tone very important that people are not able to see beyond it? Are people really so shallow?? I wouldn’t say all, but the few who don’t!! When would they learn to appreciate other good things in a person than just skin color.
Nobody has defined beauty. it lies in the eyes of the beholder, So that being said, why do people still go crazy over fair skin? the process of getting fair itself would cost a fortune, not to mention the damage it would cost to your skin.
I do love to look beautiful, i do go to beauty parlour, trim my eyebrows and sometimes i do spend a little.but in the end i’m proud of my dark skin. After all if you are not proud of what God has given you, who will be!
