Lowering Values - Parents
Before you form the opinion that this is another crib of the 'older generation' and brand it as a cliche, please read this blog.
I was watching a Tamil movie this afternoon on a satellite channel. It was what we mockingly call as a 'masala movie' which had tons of sentimental outporings and a share of song-dance sequences. A story set in a village - the all too familiar family feud. I had a wonderful time watching it, rolling on the floor with stomach-wrenching laughter.
But I also saw in the movie some values that we have conveniently chosen to ignore. I will be clearer if I gave an example. The hero, after the final fight sequence, displays great character by desiring for only the company of his foster parents, and nothing else.
My immediate thought was, do we people even respect our parents? Leave alone accepting foster parents. Many of us are simply not grateful to our parents for all the sacrifice they have made, just for bringing us up. Think of all those nights your mom woke up in the middle of the night during your exam days just to check if you needed anything. Think of those days when you were sick, your parents had their eyes filled with tears. Think of the pleasures and joys your father has given up in his life so that you complete your education. Think of those days when you couldn't even turn on your bed.
Have we ever stopped to think whether we are living upto the expectations of our parents? Do we ever think about all the sadness we have caused them, and how many times they have forgiven us? Do we ever touch our hearts to know and ask ourself what we would have been if not for them? Agreed, not all are blessed with such loving and caring parents. But what about those that are?
When we find the 'love of our life', many of us would not hesitate to say, "Its the individual's choice, the parents have no say over these matters", with some of us even go to the extent of ditching the parents for the new found love. We leave our aging parents back in India and are busy making fast bucks in you-know-where. Worse, we shower abuses at them for not letting us have our way. Worst, we have invented lovely expletives that insult our mother.
I am not against love marriages, or going abroad. What bothers me is the total lack of care we have for the gods in human form that God has sent us, testified by the growing number of old-age homes. We seem to be growing more and more insensitive to our parents' feelings, and the insensitiveness only grows as they get older. When I was talking to my parents last time, I realised that I never asked them how their health was, but there has not been a single time my parents have failed to ask me that. This, despite knowing what all ailments my father is suffering from. How can I be so insensitive? How can I be so uncaring, unloving?
Even if I struggle all my life, I can never repay what they have given me. In fact, the idea of repayment itself shouldn't exist because it presupposes the possibility of complete repayment. All I can do, is live for them. All that we can do, is to live for them. To love them, and have the feeling of gratitude in our hearts all our lives.
Gratitude to our parents, gratitude to God for having given us such parents. And try to follow "Matr Devo Bhava, Pitr Devo Bhava".
I was watching a Tamil movie this afternoon on a satellite channel. It was what we mockingly call as a 'masala movie' which had tons of sentimental outporings and a share of song-dance sequences. A story set in a village - the all too familiar family feud. I had a wonderful time watching it, rolling on the floor with stomach-wrenching laughter.
But I also saw in the movie some values that we have conveniently chosen to ignore. I will be clearer if I gave an example. The hero, after the final fight sequence, displays great character by desiring for only the company of his foster parents, and nothing else.
My immediate thought was, do we people even respect our parents? Leave alone accepting foster parents. Many of us are simply not grateful to our parents for all the sacrifice they have made, just for bringing us up. Think of all those nights your mom woke up in the middle of the night during your exam days just to check if you needed anything. Think of those days when you were sick, your parents had their eyes filled with tears. Think of the pleasures and joys your father has given up in his life so that you complete your education. Think of those days when you couldn't even turn on your bed.
Have we ever stopped to think whether we are living upto the expectations of our parents? Do we ever think about all the sadness we have caused them, and how many times they have forgiven us? Do we ever touch our hearts to know and ask ourself what we would have been if not for them? Agreed, not all are blessed with such loving and caring parents. But what about those that are?
When we find the 'love of our life', many of us would not hesitate to say, "Its the individual's choice, the parents have no say over these matters", with some of us even go to the extent of ditching the parents for the new found love. We leave our aging parents back in India and are busy making fast bucks in you-know-where. Worse, we shower abuses at them for not letting us have our way. Worst, we have invented lovely expletives that insult our mother.
I am not against love marriages, or going abroad. What bothers me is the total lack of care we have for the gods in human form that God has sent us, testified by the growing number of old-age homes. We seem to be growing more and more insensitive to our parents' feelings, and the insensitiveness only grows as they get older. When I was talking to my parents last time, I realised that I never asked them how their health was, but there has not been a single time my parents have failed to ask me that. This, despite knowing what all ailments my father is suffering from. How can I be so insensitive? How can I be so uncaring, unloving?
Even if I struggle all my life, I can never repay what they have given me. In fact, the idea of repayment itself shouldn't exist because it presupposes the possibility of complete repayment. All I can do, is live for them. All that we can do, is to live for them. To love them, and have the feeling of gratitude in our hearts all our lives.
Gratitude to our parents, gratitude to God for having given us such parents. And try to follow "Matr Devo Bhava, Pitr Devo Bhava".
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home