So 15 years after doing her Montessori training, my mom finally decided to teach.

Two years ago her school decided to hike everyone's salary but hers.

I told her to fight for what was her due but she couldn't or wouldn't do it. Finally she decided to quit.

I accompanied mom the day she went to school to inform them formally. The founder and principal of the school asked us to step into her office.

First, she spoke to my mom and then she turned to me and started telling me how she found my mom 'childish' for putting in her papers.

Principal: See no, how she is behaving like this, tell her no…

Me: No. She is right. Why don't you give her the raise if you want her to stay?

I could see she was taken aback by my candour. But to give her credit, she quickly recovered her composure. And what followed for the next half an hour went something like this.

P: But, you see, she does not have any B.Ed. or M.Ed. degree.

Me: So? She taught for 10 years in schools and has given private tuitions. And she also taught me and my brother. And you can see, she taught us well.

P: But, there are rules about these kind of things... The school board...

Me: Am sure Ma'am you are the person who has the final say on these matters as Chairperson of the board.

And the Final Touch: If she is good enough to teach without those degrees, she is good enough to get the annual raise that everyone got.

From that point on, I put on my master negotiator hat and also badgered her about the injustice of it all. After tons of ifs and buts, she finally agreed.

Considering that all those teachers were only making a 4-digit salary, the raise was not a big one. But, it was a moment of triumph for me. Finally, I felt my mom's efforts were validated.

You see she was always conscious of the fact that she had not completed her graduation. And she was certain that she would never find a job because she didn't get her training from an 'accredited' institute.

But, after years of nagging, I convinced her to apply and she got a job in a private school as a primary school teacher when I was in college. So when this incident occurred, after teaching for about a dozen odd years, her old worries and doubts of self-worth resurfaced.

But, she had finally gotten her due. It was almost like Robin Williams in the Bicentennial Man.

So I expected my mom to sing praises and gloat to everyone about her daughter's achievement. But, she was quite chilled about the whole thing.

Then I asked her why she was not over the moon and not giving me my pat on the back for making it happen.

All she said was, "From the moment my principal opened her mouth, I knew she had it coming :-)"

Basically, mom expected nothing less from me and was certain that I could swing anything. I can only hope that when I have a daughter, I will feel just as confident about the way I have raised her.