Life Desk :
We often celebrate Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Parents Day with great pomp and show all our love and respect to them, mainly restricted for that particular day! Parents are precious gems and they deserve all the love and respect always; all ways. Like many of you, I feel proud to have the best parents in the world! However, I realized their worth only after an incident which I share below.
I was born and brought up in Bombay in a middle-class family. Although my parents did not have the opportunity of higher education for themselves, they valued the importance of education for their children. They’ve always had a surprisingly unorthodox view towards life. Although both of them spent a childhood gripped by financial instabilities, it’s indeed commendable that even under challenging situations they grew up to be few of the finest human beings I’ve ever known. My father worked as a Superintendent for 35 years in a technical training institute and my mother is a homemaker. When my parents got married in the early 80s, my father earned a meagre salary of Rs. 500/- per month. However, both of them made no compromises on their goal to educate us in a convent school so that unlike them, their children can have a better future. I still remember, during a casual family chat session I overheard my mom sharing with my aunt that when I was a year old, to buy my baby food (Farex tins), they would have chai-chapati for dinner and go to sleep. There might be innumerable such sacrifices which they won’t even reveal to us! I’m convinced I will never ever be able to do anything for them in return for their selfless and unconditional love.
All their life, they tried to meet ends for their three children. As the kids grew up, they purchased a 1BHK flat with the thought that their kids should at least have a shelter of their own. The EMI payments of our home in turn invited monetary deficits and we had a tough time then. The following 10 years were the most crucial for our family that I witnessed as a teenager. I felt helpless seeing the state at home and as soon as I cleared my class 12 exam, I took up a teaching job at a coaching class and alongside continued studying further. My younger siblings also gave in their best in every way they could for the family. Touch wood, till today we remain a very close-knit family thanks to the virtues instilled in us by our parents.
With time, the financial status of our home gradually started coming on the track. We siblings too are doing well now. I have deep admiration and respect for my parents for their altruist nature, allowing their kids to take up the profession of their liking. It’s impossible to forget how few of my friends wanting to do a Ph.D. were demoralized by their parents quoting that it’s a longer route of earning money and that they cannot afford to show any more patience. Although we had a middle-class upbringing, my parents allowed us to pursue our line of interest and for this I’ll be ever indebted to them. I also got an opportunity to work and stay abroad several times during my Ph.D. tenure. Oh, I still remember the genuine pride and joy in their eyes! To date, they never had the opportunity to board a plane, but here they were, overwhelmed that I’m getting to fly! They would stay up to match the clock schedule of whichever country I was in. Unless they had a Skype with me to know my wellbeing, they wouldn’t sleep.
I am now married to a loving husband. Even today, my parents feel amiss if we do not talk once during the entire day.
Thankfully, being abreast with current generation trends, my parents are religious WhatsApp users and keeping in touch is much convenient in case we do not get to talk. I appreciate the way they balance their urge to talk and share things with me at the same time remembering not to ‘interfere’ or ‘disturb’ my married life. Sometimes out of workload or exertion, I would call them just to complete my ‘duty’ for the day as a daughter. I even remember talking to them (occasionally in an irritated manner) hardly for 2-3 minutes, just to enquire their wellbeing and to convey them mine.
Suddenly, few months back, my father fell severely ill when I was out of town to attend a conference. I was immensely tensed and constantly praying for my father’s health. I booked the earliest bus ticket to Bombay for the next morning. That whole night I remained awake in prayer and confession. Confessing before God, the uncountable times I disobeyed my father, cursed him just because he didn’t allow me to do something I wanted to or for being overprotective towards me. I also recalled the times I disrespected and neglected my mother, especially when she needed me the most. I wept uncontrollably for I went down the memory lane and realized that even though I’ve always been a very caring, loving and understanding daughter, I occasionally exhibited Satan-like, insensitive behaviour towards them. I felt embarrassed with my own recollections and continued to weep the entire night. Then, like a kid who promises his parents to be a good child in return for a favour, I begged before God and made him a promise, “Dear Almighty, I know you never rebuke your sinful children. I plead your forgiveness for these and all my other wrong doings towards my parents either intentionally or unintentionally. I make a promise to you today- till death do us part, I will never hurt my parents- neither by my deeds nor by my words. I’ll give in my best in every capacity to take care of them and be with them in their necessities. God, help me keep my parents happy and help me grow bigger in life so that I can shower on them all the riches of the world which they rightly deserve. I will abide to this promise, but please take care of father and get him out of this situation. I want to see him out of danger as soon as possible. And I know, for you, nothing is impossible.”
My father recovered from his illness in a couple of days. A year has passed and I’m glad that even today, I abide by my promise as I remain deeply indebted to God for his kindness. This incident has changed me for the good! Love you mom and dad!
-TNN
