On loving your parents

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Dear Reader, Suraj here –

I talk to my parents almost every day, but it is primarily the case that my mom calls me, rather than the other way around. It is only during those calls that I get to see and talk to my parents. Meeting them is not really an option since we live thousands of miles away, but talk we can, and talk we do.

I was watching a video this past week titled “To Love Your Parents” by Rajiv Surendra, who is a wonderful person. In the video, he talks about a vivid dream of losing his mother, and how that dream helped him make amends in how he interacted with her thereafter.

There are some unfortunate cases when a child is not loved by their parent/parents, but in most cases, every parent loves their child(ren) immensely. With time, however, as the child grows older, there begins to appear a distance between the child and the parent(s). Often, on the parents’ side, it is because they don’t want to bother their children with seeking attention. On the child’s side, they don’t even think about it.

As children, we almost always begin to take our parents for granted. We think that they are there and they will always be there. But will they, always?

The question is not “if” we will lose them, but “when” we will lose them.

This is just the reality of life, that it comes to an end. I will not talk about the possibility of an afterlife, for people have differing views on it. But what we will agree on is that this life that we have, this time, is limited.

For just a moment, close your eyes and imagine what it will be like when your parents are not with you anymore. Then, realize that that day without them will come. It is a case of “when,” not “if.”

If we have been loved and cared for by our parent(s), which we most likely have been, this is an invitation for us to take the initiative to show them that we love them and that we care about them. This is an invitation to do things for them, to cook for them sometimes, to take them to places, to buy things for them that they would not get for themselves, to do activities with them, to call them regularly and talk to them, but most importantly, this is an invitation to spend quality time with them.

This is all that a parent wants: to be and to feel loved by their children, to get to spend quality time with them.

For me, this is an invitation to take the initiative to call my parents rather than waiting for them to call every time.

If you didn’t watch the video by Rajiv, I highly recommend that you do. Here is the link again: To Love Your Parents.

I will catch you next week.

Until then, take care.

Warmly,
Suraj