TWO DIFFERENT SIDES OF A COIN
During 1970 – 71 , there was a poor old couple who used to visit my house. During their first visit I was there at my house with my parents. The old man was very handsome and so too was his wife. Since they were strangers to us my father enquired them what they want. At first they did not say a word and we became a little bit uneasy. When we compelled them to talk, tears began to flow from the old man’s eyes. Later on he began to brief his position and all of us were moved by their life tragedy. They belonged to a very well known family and the old man was quite educated and had held a very good position in his career. He spent his lifetime savings for his only son who was also a well educated young man and was richly employed. The couple transferred all their assets to their only son and found a very beautiful girl for him to marry.
After the marriage of their son, their life was put to a
great risk since their daughter in law
did not like them. Finally they were
thrown out of their house by his son and his wife. The old man told us about these incidents with great difficulty and he
was struggling for words. We were very
much moved by this story and when I took my eyes from him, I saw my father
looking at me. I did not understand the meaning
of that look since I was not that much grown up. But it is true that look of my father haunted me for a long time as it was something
peculair.
Later on when I understood the meaning of that look, I began to give more care to my father
than I had cared earlier. I was
so specific to make him understand that I will not desert him on any
occasion. I hope that I had tried my
level best to look after him untill his death.
All these I write today because I happened to see an old man on 2nd July 2012 who
was a wealthy agriculturist. The irony
of this old man was that he and his wife are left alone in this world and they
have no children of their own. The man
transferred all his wealth to his brother’s son on an understanding that he
will look after him. But gradually every
thing changed and the old couple were left alone in their house along with their old age health problems. The solitude was so unbearable for him and
when I happen to meet this old gentleman, he was crying. The place was one of my friend’s house and I enquired my friend about the old man. It
was he who briefed me about the old man’s life and I struggled to avoid my tears. During his sobbing he was trying to tell us
his life would have been something different if God had blessed him with a son
or daughter.
In the first story, the old man’s life was put to misery by
his own son and he had often told us not to rely upon your children. In the second story, another old man was
cursing God why he had not blessed him with a son. Who is
to be blamed for these tragic lives ?
Of course, we are to be blamed since we don’t educate our children in
respect of human values. We did not
edcuate them to love every others and to be of help to those who are in
misery. The only edcuation we care for
is the academic education and we try our level best to
make them cconcentrate on their studies
and build up a career. I do not find
fault with concentrating on one’s studies and career since it is hghly
appreciable, but at the same time we should try to make them good human beings
who has to deliver a rich heritage to the next generation.
If we have the desire to bring up our children as real human beings, then we have to lead our life as real human beings. Then only our children will come to understand about human values. We should love others and help others who are in need and then our children will understand what love is. The first syllabus of our children should be the life of their parents and it is our duty to make this syllabus a clear one.
mohandas4652@gmail.com
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