We'd asked you, Dear Readers, to tell us who your everyday superhero is and share stories about the extraordinary women you know and admire.
Prabhat Kumar from Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir, explains how his wife Ranjana supported him and kept his family together in difficult times.
After my mother, the woman who have influenced the most to my life is my wife.
The two things that I admire is her forbearance and self-respect!
After graduating from the Bihar College of Engineering, Patna (now NIT) in 1995, I was looking for a job.
The 1990s were the nascent era of liberalisation when career opportunities were limited.
Even after having an engineering degree, I was uncertain about my career and future.
At the same time, I also believed that one should marry before the age of 30.
Since I belonged to a conservative society, I believed that God arranges marriages. So, one should listen to elders.
Despite being unemployed, I received an offer for marriage from a decent family.
I never saw my fiancée or tried to meet her during the period of betrothal.
I got married to Ranjana who was a graduate trying to pursue her MA at the time.
I was born in a middle class family of four brothers and five sisters, two of whom were unmarried at the time.
The onus of my siblings' marital responsibilities were with me.
Soon, Ranjana and I completed our family and meeting our pecuniary needs became difficult.
My wife could have turned to her relatives or in-laws during these hours of need. However, she never did so!
We had a landline phone at home, but she never tried to call her parents or inform them of our misery.
The enormous level of her patience was praiseworthy! It was a lesson for me.
Finally, I got a job in a PSU. And as time passed by, expectations of our family become bigger. Subjugating our own needs, I married off my younger sisters.
Ranjana had to adjust to the needs of elders as well as young ones in the family.
Yet, in all these years, she has managed to uphold her self-respect at all occasions.
She remains beautifully manages the relationships within the family -- be it her parents or in-laws.
I feel lucky and blessed to get such a woman as my wife!
This International Women's Day, celebrate the Extraordinary Women in your life.
Please share her story with us and tell us what Life Lessons you have learnt from her.
Send us their stories (at least 100 words), their photographs, their videos if you like, to getahead@rediff.co.in (Subjectline: The Woman I Admire). Do include their name and location.
Don't forget to mention your name and location. We'll feature the best responses right here on Rediff.com.
