Stop the hullabaloo over celebrity moms. Ever mom is a celebrity!

The rise of media, especially social media has brought us closer to the lives of others, even eminent personalities and celebrities. We love to know what goes on in their private lives, their romantic tie-ups. subsequent break-ups, every ailment, every flaw, every nose-job… Recently the trend to glorify their parenting has seen an immense rise.

‘Oh my God! Did you see Kareena Kapoor walk the ramp in her baby bump? She looked adorable! More power to her!’ She said animatedly on the phone, sharing the daily dose of gossip with her best friend.

‘Yes, this woman is truly revolutionising pregnancy and the way people look at it.’

Meanwhile, her maid wrapped the mop around the floor wiper and started cleaning the floors.

‘Just hold on.’ She turned to her maid. ‘What do you think you are doing? Sit and mop the floor. You are leaving all the nooks and corners.’

The maid looked at her and then at her visibly pregnant abdomen. ‘It is getting difficult…’ She started.

‘Don’t give me excuses, okay! Pregnancy is a normal phenomenon. Stop working if you can’t work properly.’ She glared at her and got back to her phone call. ‘Sorry, maids, you know!’

The maid got down on her knees, her back protesting in pain. She could not give up work, she needed the money for her unborn. While mopping the floor and grimacing in agony, she looked at the images of Kareena Kapoor on the screen her employer was watching, wondering…

This is what happens every day, some where or the other, at homes, in offices, in public places, in one way or the other! Kareena Kapoor’s walking the ramp with a baby bump sent the entire population go ”Awww!” Suddenly, Kareena Kapoor became the epitome of women empowerment for not having given up work during pregnancy. Even Aishwarya Rai’s motherhood was literally stalked and the internet and print magazines flaunted articles on ‘how Aishwarya is a great mom’ and an example to all mothers.

I say, what is the fuss all about?

In my opinion, every mom is a celebrity! Why highlight only celebrity moms?

Celebrity moms are not the ones setting examples for women to juggle careers and motherhood at once. Ordinary women like you, me and even our household maids are the ones doing it since decades. The celebrities have just acquired this art recently and here we are, crediting them for something they learnt from us. I appreciate the fact that Kareena Kapoor is working despite her pregnancy and is not hesitant to flaunt her baby bump but that is it! I appreciate her just as much as I appreciate my pregnant colleague who travelled 45 minutes to work daily throughout her pregnancy. Every woman who manages dealing with pregnancy and the toll it takes on physical and mental well-being is a star in her own right.  It is no easy task to drag your fatigued, aching, large-bellied body out of bed each morning and fight nausea and aches to get down to work. On the other hand, the woman who is a housemaker also deserves a pat on the back for cooking for the family when she herself just wants to throw up; or for managing her elder kid while she carries the second in her womb. Being a homemaker is no easy task!

If we are barely star-worshipping, we need to stop! They are just as human as all of us. And if on the other hand, this appreciation is an appreciation of the phase of pregnancy and motherhood, we must acknowledge it universally. I think I respect my maid who left her drunkard husband with her five children and is now working in various households to fend for her children more than appreciate the wealthy artists who have a cavalry of help and support around them.

Let us respect pregnancy, pregnant women and the act of giving birth and let us do it in real life, instead of reading and sharing news of celebrity baby bumps and parenting. The next time you see a pregnant woman carrying a load of grocery, extend a hand. Offer your seat to the expectant mother standing in the Metro. Be patient with a pregnant woman who works in your office, she might not be having a particularly comfortable day. Ask your domestic help how her children are doing in school, trust me, you will enjoy watching the pride in her eyes.

The shutter bugs have glorified the on-screen actors and actresses a bit too much and the line between virtual and real world seems to have blurred. Let us open our eyes, see the real world around us and appreciate the real-life achievers more than the reel-life ones. What do you say?