My first expert- my mum!

I have always wondered how my mom would have the solution for anything under the sun -whether stated explicitly or ever-so-slightly-hinted-at for you to decipher things on your own. I have wondered how her touch, thought, word and action would spur me on. And even that how I had to and then later how every woman could turn into something like that and how could that be. Some of that made sense, when I recently became a mom.
Afterall, she was my first expert - the first person I learnt to rely on, with whom I needn't put on.

My shoulder to lean on,
still hoping I stand tall.
And rise high out of every fall,
she's ever so keen on.
My first mentor
my existence's centre
my panacea
helps me shirk inertia
my go-to escort
my first expert!
My mom -respect!

Till not so long ago, when I was playing Retro songs and everybody wowed me on my playlists, it was her that I thanked each day for such a taste - my first expert on Bollywood music. If not for her singing those songs to me I would have been oblivious to that golden era of Bollywood music, the maestros-Latadi, Asha tayi andso on, and the brilliant musical gems that were created then. That landed me a job as a radio presenter in AIR FM Gold in the first place, and then in a UAE FM channel. And no, my first expert’s skills were not just limited to that. She was my first teacher who had taught me everything I needed to know and even more, even before I joined school. I knew it all when I joined and I topped my class and that continued to happen then onwards. To think that I was a gifted child of hers and she was so lucky to have me, was her naiveté but all the credit for my first and subsequent wins goes to her, her hardwork.

My first expert was the one who sailed me out of my first initiation to the opposite sex's adolescent adulation. It was too much for me to handle that then and she shielded me from an unpleasant episode when somebody had been troubling me. That chapter bonded us like never before and I got assurance that she was my go-to person for everything for days and years to come. She opened up, shared her stories and I shared mine –gossip, issues, views, opinions nad everything under the sun shared. We became the best of friends and my friends even hated that sometimes that I would share everything with my mother but I enjoyed these sessions with her. She would keep herself free so that I could regale her with my stories and she would be my guiding light during those friendly banters. I had probably been becoming too dependent on her  and needed a shake. My mom realized that too and would give a gentle nudge so often.Once, when a friend wanted to take me out for a date, I, in a bid to get her nod and shed my guilt, tried to inform-ask her , "So what do you think?" I was expecting raised eyebrows and voice, emotional melodrama, being grounded, and what-not. But what I got was a cool and composed - "I have raised you to be old and mature enough to be able to take that call yourself." I loved her so for that reply of hers. I loved her for trusting me so. I have loved her for being so cool.               

She prepared me for all that comes with marriage, when I finally chose the one. Even a year back, when I  had my baby and was struggling with mild post-partum depression escalating into something else, it was my first expert and her omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient presence that made me get over my teething issues as a new mom and am still learning from her.

And for my #FirstExpert, I trust nothing less than an expert - Godrej Expert Rich Crème. Interestingly, it was my first expert's first choice when she decided to colour her hair.