Within a few days of marriage, I realized that the four female of the house – my husband’s mother, sister and two maternal aunts, were struck by what psychiatrists term Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

One looks for emotional strength in a family. When you see your own people, you expect something which lifts you up and not pull you down!

Dai was originally intended to denote a midwife, someone who used to assist women in childbirth with the experience and expertise of previous generations. Similarly, an Aya was originally supposed to be a nanny who can assist the new mother with child-rearing.

How many of us are happy with our mother-in-law/daughter-in-law? Leave alone the fact that we can never see them as our own mother or daughter, the least —  are we able to accept them as one in our family?

Growing up, I don’t remember a lot of love being showered, but a series of rules being preached — don’t talk too much or too loudly, don’t laugh out hard! My grandmother was strict!