For the past three years, once a year I have taken a holiday alone , without hubby & kids tagging along. Yeah, the reactions have varied from Oh How could you leave your kids behind, How can you holiday alone, Don’t you feel guilty having fun alone to the sheer disapproval filled How selfish can you get.
Well do I feel any of the above? NO .Why? Because I believe that out of the 365 grueling days of not having a single day off., catering to the demands of 3 men day in day out , I am entitled to 7- 10 days of regenerating myself for the next whole year. I use this time just to review a lot of things in my mind. I feel it is a necessary break for me to rediscover myself.
When on these trips alone I generally seek a new place either with a friend, my sis or maybe cousin. I am yet to venture out by myself as that is what I want to do someday, be comfortable in being & traveling alone. So on these trips I spend time with myself, with books, music & in general seeking within myself what I want to do so that I am re-energized to face my daily life again. Would that be such a sacrilege if I did it once in a way?
Having explained it, I just wonder why a girl often is expected to give up everything to cater to the needs of the family & put time for herself on a back burner. If she does need time to herself & seeks it, she is branded selfish & irresponsible .While I feel responsibility is when you make arrangements for things to run smooth when you are not around & then take some time off, I fail to understand why it is not appreciated if you take some time to recharge your batteries from time to time. Why should one be sacrificial just to be called responsible?
I think everyone has one life time & one is entitled to some time for themselves to seek the peace & understand who they are . I hope a day comes when women are recognized as humans who need time to breathe & are seen as any other living human who is an entity on her own .For now that looks a long way off 
August 4th, 2008 at 2:54 am
I think people forget that a woman is also a human, she also needs a break from the every day routine. If a guy feels that he needs a break from all stress and every day life, then why do people feel that a girl doesn’t have the same rights? Like you said, she’s expected to give up everything to take care of the family and their needs but what about her needs? When she gets sick, people don’t want to hear it, yet when the family does, its like the end of the world.
Yes, a girl has a responsibility towards the family and all but she also has her own individual life, her own feelings, her own thoughts…she has as much right to enjoy the life as everyone else. People get happy watching a someone having a great life but when it comes to themselves, it’s almost as if its a sin.
I hope that people get over these petty issues and realize that a girl is a human after all, she, I think has more rights for a break than anyone because without her a home is just a house…and a family isn’t a family, its people without love and care.