Some years ago I was trying to get an inhouse magazine ready and suddenly the printer told me he couldn’t deliver. My dad who had a small printer attached to his computer said he would get thirty copies out for me, if my mother would help him. As I watched them helping me out of a sticky situation, I found myself getting impatient, and saw my mother glancing up at me, “Be patient son, we are old!” was all she said.
An old man was sitting on the sofa in his house along with his highly educated son and was asking questions, but noticed his son getting impatient with him. Suddenly a crow perched on their window. The father asked his son, “What is that?”
“It’s a crow dad,” the son relied. After a few minutes, the father asked his son the second time, “What is it?”
The son said “Father, I have just now told you “It’s a crow”.
This went on, a third, fourth and even a fifth time Finally the son yelled, “Why do you keep asking me the same question again and again, although I have told you so many times ‘IT IS A CROW’. Are you not able to understand this?”
The father smiled, went to his room and came back with an old tattered diary, which he had maintained since his son was born. Opening a page, he asked his son to read that page. When the son read it, he saw written:- “Today my little son aged three was sitting with me on the sofa, when a crow sat at the window. My son asked me 23 times what it was, and I replied to him all 23 times that it was a crow. I hugged him lovingly each time he asked me the same question again and again for 23 times. I never felt irritated. Instead I felt affection for my innocent child”
There’s a message here for all of us, yes even me:
When our parents get old, do not repulse them or look at them as a burden, but speak to them with a gracious word, be cool, obedient, humble and kind to them. From today say to yourself, “I want to see my parents happy forever. They have cared for me ever since I was a little child. They have showered their selfless love on me. Say a prayer to God today, “I will serve my old parents in the best way just as they did for me many, many years ago!”
I believe that once you start with your parents, you will start dealing with others with the same patience, because patience comes through practice, and who better than the elderly to get all the practice you need during the lockdown and after..!
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Robert Clements is a newspaper columnist and writes a daily column, which has graced the pages of over 60 newspapers and magazines, from a daily column in the Khaleej Times, Dubai, the Morning Star, London, and in nearly every state in India, from The Statesman in Kolkata, to the Kashmir Times in Kashmir to the Trinity Mirror in Chennai.
A timely reminder and an opportunity for those who have parents living today. Don’t regret later as some of us are doing.
What a wonderful lesson. A true life story. Yes today’s highly educated at even higher positions behave in suchlike actions.
A pity, they should also realize that very soon they themselves will be the same situation very soon.
Loved this!
I have my 93 year old mother and 60 year old brother come to stay with us since March. She loves ice cream and my son searched Kalina till he got us ice cream to give her after her lunch daily!
It’s a treat to see her face light up, her eyes glitter and that particular smirk on her face everyday while waiting for the ice cream to melt a bit before we allow her to eat it, as we are avoiding cold thing for her.
These memories I have made for a life time!
We try to make her some Anglo Indian dish each day too and not forgetting her high tea.
Last week while we were at the table she said, ‘My girl, you make me feel like everyday is a Sunday!’
My joy was complete.
Tomorrow we will be in their shoes..so better to treat the elderly..grandparents..parents with much love and respect..after all they gave of their best to us..sometimes with alot of sacrifices and hardships!
Honour your parents and you will have a long life..quote from the Bible! What we do to them will be meted out to us by our children..because children learn by example!
Oh very sure I have lots of patience so I know how to handle any situation
Replace irritation and anger with patience and tolerance . Hate with love
Doubt with trust
The commencement of change within can come only if and when we begin to point the fingers at ourselves.
How true Bob …to have elderly parents with us….it is a blessing to serve them
Patience is d most important thing in life. Young generation doesn’t hve any time with parents. I want to tell childen ” talk to your parents n love them when they are healthy” . HISTORY REPEATS!!
Beautiful….thanks Bobby
I wish my parents were alive and I could follow your advice,Bobby. I was blessed with very loving parents who served us with great affection till the end.My dad was gentle in speech though bedridden in the end with his fall.He tried to stand with a new walker my sister bought though but once in ICU,he was out of our hands.The doctors were in control.We had to trust and obey them