53/100. The migraine continues. As do the mommy duties. Of which a very important one is attending the first PTM of the year.

I don’t know how it is for all of you other mommies out there. But it’s a pretty nerve-wracking experience for me – I actually get rather jittery and clammy-palmed. You see, I’m not scared that my child has been judged and found wanting. I am scared that it’s me who will get that F on the motherhood report card.

As I was choosing which saree would see me through a long, long day, I suddenly remembered how, two years running, I was part of the team conducting parent interviews during admission for the Birla group of schools. How we had been told to wear sarees to look more authoritative. And how I was paired with a dear friend who also happened to be family, and whose daughter was three weeks older than my son. With what mixed feelings we sat on that side of the table – knowing full well the hopes and expectations and nerves that the parents felt because our children and we were just a year away from being in the same situation. I pulled out the saree I had started that period of 15 days with – another of my ‘airhostess’ sarees – a pretty, cherry-red printed crepe silk. Somehow, this saree seemed apt. It proclaims woman-on-the-job and would take me from mom-job to office. This saree has served me well in the past and it served me well this day as well – staying fresh and uncreased even when I went limp with relief at passing the grade – this time at least. ?

So, here we are. Standing in the sun in the middle of a verdant green campus, both pretty happy with ourselves and each other. More happy report cards, here we come!