Love them.Worship them. Review on Caring for Aging Parents

This has been the sloka that has been handed from centuries past that tells us that our parents and teachers are our gods. Well, this cant be further from the truth, right? God couldnt be there with us all the time so he made mothers to love us, fathers to protect us and our teaches to impart knowledge. They are the reason we are here. They are the reason we will be. We are what they are. And our identity is lost if it wasnt for them.

It is said that during the lifetime of a child, in his childhood he should be taught Ramayana to instill the values, in his youth the Mahabharata to know the world and in his oldage he should read the Bhagavadgita for spirituality. If everyone of us were made to learn Ramayana, to know it, love it, there wouldnt be any reason why this topic in MS should exist at all. When I first heard the story of Sravana Putra in Ramayana, I thought about the greatness of the son to serve his ailing parents. But it is only recently that I understood, it was not the SravanPutra who was doing anything extraordinary by serving his parents. He was doing what he should be doing as their only son. And which we are not doing.

Years ago, caring for parents, aging or not, wouldnt have been a point to give a thought about much less brood over it. But now times are never the same. Now it is a matter of concern and it is assuming gargantuan proportions without much knowledge. I sometimes if we are really progressing going by the way we treat our parents, our family, our friends, ourselves.

I dont really know if the Industrial Revolution has done any major changes to us, but yes it has changed our lifestyle for the worst. It may not be the IR per se, its the urbanization. The young people leave their parents to fend for themselves in search of greener pastures. Parents on the other hand are left in the lurch knowing what to do, where to go, and that too in the time when they need the support of their children the most.

Now the strong, independent kids no longer see their parents as their source of support they are no longer a burden. I dont accuse the children for this. Its one of the ills that comes with this lifestyle of zooming cars, fly-by-night relationships, the green paper, the drinks, the glamour and all the crap of a successful life. And people dont understand before its too late. And too late it is, before they know they can do anything for it. They only repent for it. For their gods have left them unhappy, sad they couldnt get a fleeting glimpse of them before they bid farewell. Its harsh but its true.

As for the problems associated with a emigration, I have absolutely no idea. If there is a will there is a way. Nothing satisfies a parent more than knowing that someone is there for them, thinking about them, praying for their well-being. I sometimes doubt if there is anything more important than one's own family. And whenever a politician speaks of having more and more oldage homes built, it feels like killing him. Shouldnt he be instead talk about the wretched system the whole concept of oldage home is? Shouldnt he be appealing to the young people to rethink before they take this extreme step.

I abhor the nuclear family system. Its time we understand our values, our ethos and our culture. And happiness is found not by money but through the happiness in the hearts of our near and dear. I just pray that circumstances dont play so spoil a sport that they can shake this belief of mine.

Remember our parents may have more than one children, we may have more than one friends, we can have more than one job, more than one car, but they are the only ones we have. Think before you leap, and think deeply. Its only the most fortunate that get the opportunity to serve the god and who else to serve than your own parents. Its not your duty, its a privelege.