A few days ago I got a call from my old college mate whom I haven't seen
for a very long time. The topic, which was about all the good old times
that we had and about his recent graduation, changed to a touching story
when he started talking about his father.
His father's declining health made him to stay at the hospital. Because
of his illness, his father suffered from imsomnia and often talking to
himself. My friend, who had not been able to sleep for a few days as he
had to keep watch of his father's condition, became irritated and told
his father to keep silence and try to get some sleep. His father said
that he really wanted to sleep well because he was very tired and told
my friend to leave him alone in the hospital if he did not want to keep
him company.
After his father finished talking he fell unconscious and had to be
rushed to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). My friend was very sorry for he
had spoken ill words towards his father.
My friend, whom I knew as a tough person, cried like a baby on the other
end of the telephone. He said that from that moment on he prayed every
day asking God to let his father woke up from his coma. He promised
himself that whatever words came out from his father's mouth after he
regained his conscious would be gladly taken. His only hope was for God
to give him a chance to rectify his past mistake, a mistake that he
might not forget for the rest of his life...
Often we complain when we have to accompany or to watch over our parents
for years, months, days, hours or even minutes. But do we realize that
our parents keep us companied and watch over us for as long as we (or
they) live? Since the day we were born to our adulthood, and even when
death comes to greet us, they are always at our side. When it's time for
them to return to God, their memory lingers for the rest of our life.
Imagine how broken-hearted our parents will be to a seemingly inocent
word of "no" which comes out from our mouth when they try to embrace us
in their tender loving care, but which we often consider as something
that bind us and hold us from flying the blue sky. What other words will
replace the word "crying" when there are no more tears to shed from
their eyes as the tears are wasted to shower our days so that our life
would grow and produce fruits and flowers to liven up the dark days of
the rotating wheel of life.
We can make promises to ourselves that from now on there will be no more
complaints come out from our mouths when we have to watch and accompany
our parents. No more complaints come out from our mouths when we feel
that our parents have treated us like little children. Have faith, out
there there are so many unlucky ones who have neither fathers nor
mothers, who long to have the things that we most complain about, but
never have them.
Actually, it takes only a second to contemplate and light the lamp that
will bring us to where peace is dwelling. Now it's all up to us whether
we want to spare our short time for a great and meaningful life ahead of
our lives.
