Like I had mentioned in my last post, I have so many aspects
of our Bharatiya sanskriti that I would like to cover or uncover!
I really want to
explore and understand coz I just don’t understand most of them! The latest
post that triggered my neurons again was around a piece about children sending
off their old parents to old age homes. About how ungrateful children become
when they grow up....after everything that their parents have done for the
children.
There are 2 roads that I want to ponder on. The first question
that has always been on my mind....why parents do so much for their children? Why
the entire effort of giving the best to their child ..rearing them and bringing
them up?
Is it because we, the parents, expect that our “investment”
will bear the fruits in our old age? So that when we are no longer in the
position to earn our livelihood, they will be our income source? Or do we do it
because no matter what, we want the best for children, to enable them become successful
when they grow up and live their life, in an unconditional way!
And if that is why, the unconditional reasons, we do things
for our children, then why do we expect them to be our support system once we
are old? Don’t they have a right to live their own life the way they want?
Should parents really be part of their adult day to day life?
To this, we will answer that this is what our “bharatiya
sanskriti” teaches us. To love and respect our elders and be there to support
them when they supported us when we were young. But as children, did we demand
that? Was that what we asked for? Did our parents not give birth to us out of
their choice? And so, was it not their duty to do their best? They chose to
take up those roles and along with that the responsibilities.
Then, why is it that our parents, always want to dictate the
lives of our children till the end of life? And that includes starting from what
they wear, what they study, eventually who they marry, what they do with their
money and the list continues! Why do we, as parents not accept that our
children have a life of their own? Why don’t we let them be adults and let go
off the reigns?
Have we ever tried to think this through? Have we ever questioned ouselves?
Finlly, if we did not take steps to secure our old age, why is
it their responsibility now? And this is where the old age homes come in! But I
will leave this for the next post!
