Love Thy Parents

Speaking in the simplicity of heart and an open mind, my heart saddened by the situation I've seen concerning my mother. She is already 76 years old yet still striving to live the life she wants to be. Her only wish then is to live until the age of 80.

Such is a longing of an aging mother. Its maybe one of her wish, to live a good old age. But, one thing wearied me is the situation that keep her mentally sick- meaning, most of the time, she thinks about her children though they're old enough and have a family of their own.

I asked, do children think about their parents, too! Being stricken for many years with sickness and body pains, sacrificing all their personal interest and becoming unselfish and provided everything for their children in order to live and achieved a good life, do we really care for them? Parents taught their children much discipline and love and virtue even righteousness. They even showed them the way how to stand on their own feet and use all their strength necessary in bringing their children in the way they wants them to be. Still, how long will they suffer the agony and pain of parenthood?

With all the sacrifices they've made, how many among us do really care about our parents?

When I was still a child, as I remember the early years of our life, I could not really imagine how they reared us! We are composed of ten children, five boys and five girls. My father was just a carpenter and doesn't have much interest in farming so we leave our land and go everywhere to which we can made a living. My father had to leave the country and worked overseas. My mother had to live by the house and care for us. In short, we depended our life on our father alone for our food and sustenance. Along the way, as we grow old enough to help earn money to help our parents in our daily living, we had to worked. Of course, hardships is always part of our life even hunger that we had to live that way.

Families here in the Philippines are composed of many children which ranging from 6-12 even 14. Some are fortunate enough to make a living while others are not. Some lived in abundance and some are not!

Now, each children must understand clearly that we have a personal responsibility not only with our own family but with our parents, too! We owed them so much that in return we must care for them. We must always remember them for without them we'll not be here.We may not be able to give them all the necessities in life but all their basic needs we must provide. These is not all, we must give them a little attention and care for their health. I don't think they will asked for more except for the love and attention.That is the heart and mind of our parents.

We may all possess everything in life even the richest of the earth yet if we neglected them, what kind of child are we? Just imagine ourselves riding on a luxurious car or taking on more vacations of every country we can afford to or dine-in with all the best hotels but what about our parents, that even just a small amount of money we can't afford to give! What kind of fool! Let us not forget that God commanded us to love our father and mother. And if we do "our days shall be prolonged upon the land".