A few days ago I got a call from my old college mate whom I haven't seen for a very long time. The topic, which was about all the good old times that we had and about his recent graduation, changed to a touching story when he started talking about his father.
His father's declining health made him to stay at the hospital. Because of his illness, his father suffered from imsomnia and often talking to himself. My friend, who had not been able to sleep for a few days as he had to keep watch of his father's condition, became irritated and told his father to keep silence and try to get some sleep. His father said that he really wanted to sleep well because he was very tired and told my friend to leave him alone in the hospital if he did not want to keep him company.
After his father finished talking he fell unconscious and had to be rushed to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). My friend was very sorry for he had spoken ill words towards his father.
My friend, whom I knew as a tough person, cried like a baby on the other end of the telephone. He said that from that moment on he prayed every day asking God to let his father woke up from his coma. He promised himself that whatever words came out from his father's mouth after he regained his conscious would be gladly taken. His only hope was for God to give him a chance to rectify his past mistake, a mistake that he might not forget for the rest of his life...
Often we complain when we have to accompany or to watch over our parents for years, months, days, hours or even minutes. But do we realize that our parents keep us companied and watch over us for as long as we (or they) live? Since the day we were born to our adulthood, and even when death comes to greet us, they are always at our side. When it's time for them to return to God, their memory lingers for the rest of our life.
Imagine how broken-hearted our parents will be to a seemingly inocent word of "no" which comes out from our mouth when they try to embrace us in their tender loving care, but which we often consider as something that bind us and hold us from flying the blue sky. What other words will replace the word "crying" when there are no more tears to shed from their eyes as the tears are wasted to shower our days so that our life would grow and produce fruits and flowers to liven up the dark days of the rotating wheel of life.
We can make promises to ourselves that from now on there will be no more complaints come out from our mouths when we have to watch and accompany our parents. No more complaints come out from our mouths when we feel that our parents have treated us like little children. Have faith, out there there are so many unlucky ones who have neither fathers nor mothers, who long to have the things that we most complain about, but never have them.
Actually, it takes only a second to contemplate and light the lamp that will bring us to where peace is dwelling. Now it's all up to us whether we want to spare our short time for a great and meaningful life ahead of our lives.
My heart goes out for our friend. Many a times we say many a things only to regret it later. Somethings can never be undone and we have to live the rest of our lives with that guilt feeling. And with parents this issue is the most prevalent. They are probably the last people on earth that most of us show appreciation though they are the one who should be first. May we realise it as early as possible....
rahul