'I wish I had said it sooner': Ankur Warikoo reveals what many Indian mothers forget about themselves

Entrepreneur and content creator Ankur Warikoo recently shared an emotional reflection about his mother and a question that made him realise how many mothers quietly put their own happiness aside while caring for their families. Warikoo took to social media and recalled asking his mother a simple but powerful question: When was the last time she did something just because it made her happy, and not because it was her responsibility as a mother?

The question left her unable to answer. Warikoo shared that his mother became a parent at the age of 27 and spent decades balancing multiple responsibilities. She raised him and his sister while working as a primary school teacher. During a difficult phase when his father did not have a job, she supported the family and continued managing household responsibilities.

He wrote that even today, she cooks every day and takes care of the home, but when he asked her when she last did something purely for her own happiness, she had no answer. According to Warikoo, the reason was that she had spent years dedicating every hour of her life to motherhood and putting her family’s needs before her own. He said this experience is not unique to his family. Many Indian mothers have dreams, interests and desires that slowly get pushed aside as they prioritise their children, spouses and households.



"She had dreams and desires. But they got buried under everyone else's needs, year after year, until even she forgot to look for them," Warikoo shared. Reflecting on his mother’s 45 years of putting everyone first, Warikoo admitted that this was the first time he had openly expressed these thoughts to her. "I wish I had said it sooner," he wrote.

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Warikoo said he now wants to ensure that his mother chooses herself more often and makes time for things that bring her happiness. He shared that she recently returned from a 10-day vacation in Kodaikanal. While he acknowledged that one trip cannot make up for 45 years of prioritising others, he believes it is an important beginning. "45 years of putting everyone first. One trip isn't enough to make up for it. But it's a start," Warikoo wrote.