How to love your parents

How to love your parents???

The topic seems to be silly but it is a very sensitive issue on which we all have a considerable level of misconception.We think, with the awareness created during 80's thru movies n TV serials, our parents are smart enough to manage their lives independently, both financially and emotionally.

Yes, most of our parents are independent by their own choice but do we give them any other choice?How many of us can tell that, if our parents depend on us we'll give them the same good life that we had from them???They are our parents.They know us.So they made their choice.It is not really we to be blamed.This is how we have been taught socially, to prioritize 'our family' over anything or anyone.This is how our parents prioritized us over our grand-parents.But just because something is happening the way it was doesn't mean its the way it should be.   

It has been 15 years since my grand-mother expired but there is hardly a day in this 15 yrs that goes unmentioned about her by my mom.Even if it is the 100th time she explains the same past incidents, we'd love to listen to my mom as she becomes so lively narrating her moments with our grand-mother.This is the consequence of  'My family' priorities.

Is there a way to balance and find time between our work and 'family' commitments?

Yes, if we have this much time for Face book and You tube, Sure,we have time for our parents too.

Some tips :

• Prepare yourself to love your parents.How? Have you ever seen a particular color shirt or a saree and thought of how nice would that be on them? If not, do it now.
• Choose a particular time, like 8 or 9 PM to make a call to your parents daily.Make this a habit and by this way, u'll always be connected to their world.
• Have a Wish-list that u wanted to do for your parents.Make it on something useful, affordable and simple so that u can do them all within their life-time, like I took my mom to Five Rathas, Mahabalipuram, her favorite place.
• Try to respect the people your parents love and respect, may be their friends or some relatives, even though you have different opinion on them.
• If you are married, think twice on what and how you talk to your parents as u'l be perceived as a different person as a married man.Strictly no more loose talk since, if there is any gap been made, you have very less opportunity to mend them as a married person.
• Keep your parents informed about your job profile, friends, neighbors,etc so that on your next native visit u'l not be seen as an alien by ur own parents.
• If you have any problem with your sibling, don't criticize them since it is the worst and painful thing u can do to your parents.If you are not in good terms with any of your family member, stay away from them for a while.This will enhance your image and will give your parents the confidence that you have become emotionally mature and could be a good family head.
• Instead of travelling some hundred miles ,waiting in a long queue and offering some % of your income to your favorite temple, spend such money, effort and time on your parents.You are certain to succeed in all that you wished for. 

But why to do all this? Because your parents are going to have a maximum of 10-15 yrs of active life from now.Fifteeeeeen years! Rewind your life 10-15 yrs back, what were you doing and how these years went away.It is just ten to fifteen years.

In one of my Organisational behavior class during my Labour Law studies, a professor who is also a psychologist had asked us this question- What is the relationship between you and your parents? When he said no for replies like love, affection, respect,etc., I answered 'Mutual Dependence'. He said, 'exactly, the right answer'.At that time, the answer just came out of my mind from nowhere. But now I know its importance, responsibilities and need.Above all, I know it is my turn now...!