I was one of those unlucky guys who lost my parents early in life. But on a positive note I realised the value of them ,since I lost them both early. There is always a debate as to whom children adore more – mother or father. Some may say either and some both , but I feel each of them have a different value to the children.

A mother is an epitome of love and affection for most kids. They provide unconditional love and nurture you till you are able to stand on your own feet. A father on the other hand , is the invisible force for most children. Their life gets strengthened by the presence of their father. One may not realise but a father’s mere presence , is like a guide being around you , all the time.

Each of us have a different take on our parents. For me, my mother was a symbol of grit and determination. She fought against all odds to do whatever she could ,for all of us and the family. On the other hand my father was a source of inspiration and an embodiment of patience. I learnt the true value of silence from him. His silence spoke more than his words for me. He was my role model and will always be.

Each one of us have to lose our mother and father ,at some stage of our lives ,unless we are lucky to leave Mother Earth before them. All of us are not privileged enough to take care of our parents when we are independent and they need our support. However, many of us miss them and realise their value much more , when they are not around.

I lost my mother at the age of 23. I was closer to my father than my mother. But I did realise the value of my mother , when she was no more, as I realised later how much she had sacrificed her life for the welfare of others. Her grit and determination to fight all odds were indeed worth emulating. She was a disciplinarian and made us realise the basic values of life through her actions more than her words.

I lost my father two years later at the age of 25. It was a life shattering event for me , in my life. This was the stage of my life when I had just got married and was settling in my career. Losing both my parents at this stage of my life , shook me off the ground. I had always dreamt of taking care of my parents when I settled down in life. I requested my father to come and stay with me after my mother’s death. However, he politely declined since he said my brother was in college and he had to take care of him.

I could not take care of my parents after I settled down in life. But I did realise that I have to be grateful to them ,throughout my life, for what I am today. Although, we hailed from a middle class family , they inculcated the basic values in life and taught us the ethical way of living, through their actions.

Although I do realise that I can never repay my debts to my parents for moulding me into what I am in today, I do realise that I can still respect them by living their values in life. I learnt to “never give up” on anything from my mother and learnt “patience unlimited” and the value of “silence” from my father.

Each of us may identify one or two value from our parents and try to live them ,so that , our future generations can do the same. This may be the best way to express our gratitude to our parents.

Long live our parents.

S Ramesh Shankar

14th January 2022