ninavu online magazine from cet alumni in UAE

I was dreaming of 8 - 10 years to the future, when many of us will be in our youth, when we are let out of the
cage, free to fly wherever we want. I'm sure all of you might have planned in your head as to what you are
going to do when you all will be on your own. I already have an idea of what its going to be for me. Get a
Good Job with a five digit salary, buy a luxurious pent house, a sports car, the latest mobile phone, lap top,
and then a few years later marry a handsome, highly educated and affluent partner, provide your kids with
best facilities and finally settle down for a peaceful retired life. ……

My Dear Friends….

I believe most of you have plans similar to mine. Is there anybody who has more to add
to this list? But I believe, there is one thing that we normally forget, when we plan for our future .What are
we going to do for the two people who brought us up and took care of us till that age?Without them
where would you have been? And that is what I would like to speak about now

The theme of a recent movie, I happened to see made me to think about this. It was about a poor family
of the father, handicapped mother and their three children. The father who was a worker struggling to
make both ends meet happens to die in an accident and the helpless poor mother is left with the
children. Strong and determined, the mother does all odd jobs and raises her children up to become fine
young men. The boys one by one after their studies got jobs, married and made their own set ups. In the
beginning they came to visit mother regularly and mother was very happy. Later the visits became
occasional and subsequently visits also became scarce as they became busy with their children, their
education and other engagements. The mother became alone, struggling to pull on with her life, and
finally the poor lady becomes sick and bed ridden. She sent messages to her children wishing to see
them. By the time, her sons came to see her, she had passed away. Is this just a scene in the movie or is
it a reality in todays world? It is a reality my dear friends and we all too will reach that stage one day.
Many people blame their busy schedule of life, for not sparing time and caring their parents.

Let us think of the time when we were just born, our parents have high hopes in us and teach us
to walk, talk, behave and sent us to school and found time to help and play with us, eventhough
they had to do long hours of work in the office. They love and protect us and guide us through all
hardships in life.After all that they have done for us, is this how we reward them by shattering their
dreams and hopes about us??!! Why can't we give them time and take care of them while they did the
same for us? No matter how fast paced life we live in today's world, there is always a little time for us
tospare for our parents, but we need to be willing.
According to the Indian culture and traditions, the place of parents was of reverence, only next to God.
But with the ever increasing influence of western culture, in the modern society, we can notice the waning
of our old values of morality and family relations - the values which were so dear and so important to us,
at a time. Though Technology has shrunk the world, communication and transport facilities have made
the world small, man has grown selfish and distance between human minds have increased. In the
modern times, the meaning of the word family has shrunk down to one's wife and children only, where
parents, grand parents, uncles and aunties, brothers and sisters, and cousins have no place. This has
also contributed us a new concept of orphanage beautifully labeled as ""Old Age Homes"". The group of
people who are a bit concerned about their parents, that they do not just forget them, leave them at old
age homes where they accommodate old people who have no one to look after them.

Parental sacrifice for their children is something which can not be described in words. I shall tell you an
incident which I read in a book about a mother and her only son.
The lady had only one eye and because of that her son hated her. she was such an embarrassment, for him
always. She cooked for students & teachers to support the family. One day during elementary school where his
mom came to say hello to him. He was so embarrassed in front of his friends. He thought 'how could she do
this to me?'
He ignored her, threw her a hateful look and ran out.
The next day at school one of his classmates said,
"EEEE, your mom only has one eye!"
He felt humiliated.He also wanted his mom to just disappear.
So the boy confronted her that day and said, "If you're only goanna make me a laughing stock, why don't you
just die?!!!"
His mom did not respond...
He didn't even stop to think for a second about what he had said,
because he was full of anger.
He was oblivious to her feelings.
He wanted out of that house, and have nothing to do with her.
So he studied real hard, got a chance to go abroad to study.
Then, he got married.
He bought a house of his own.
He was happy with his life, his kids and the comforts
Then one day, his mother came to visit him.
She hadn't seen him for years and she didn't even meet her
grandchildren.
When she stood by the door, his children laughed at her,
and he yelled at her for coming over uninvited.
He screamed at her, "How dare you come to my house and scare my
children!" GET OUT OF HERE! NOW!!!"
And to this, his mother quietly answered, "Oh, I'm so sorry. I may
have gotten the wrong address," and she disappeared out of sight.
One day, a letter regarding a school reunion came to his house.
So he lied to his wife that he was going on a business trip.
After the reunion, he went to the old shack just out of curiosity.
His neighbors said that she had died.
He did not shed a single tear.
They handed him a letter that she had wanted him to have.
"My dearest son, I think of you all the time.
I'm sorry that I came to your house and scared your children.
I was so glad when I heard you were coming for the reunion.
But I may not be able to even get out of bed to see you.
I'm sorry that I was a constant embarrassment to you when you were growing up.
You see........when you were very little, you got into an accident, and lost your eye.
As a mother, I couldn't stand watching you having to grow up with
one eye. So I gave you mine. I was so proud of my son who was seeing a whole new world for me, in my
place, with that eye.
With my love to you,
Your mother.

This story touched me greatly and made me realize the value of my parents. My parents have always
sacrificed something or the other for me and I am sure that if needed they will even do what the above
mother did.

To sum up, what our parents need from us is not our riches or wealth but our love, care and affection. So
in whichever walks of life we are or wherever we may be, there should always be time for our parents. So
let us all make a small addition to our list which I mentioned earlier. " Love and Care for my parents
especially in their old age."

Let us also propose a toast for our parents who have taken care of us till now and giving us all that we
need and to whom we love.