Page 22 - Seniors Today - July 2021 Issue
P. 22
Letter from a Father
Bear With Me, Beta
An ageing parent’s letter to his kid, by Vickram Sethi
I am thoroughly blessed to have One day you will see that I am getting old.
exceedingly loving children. They take I ask you to please be patient, please try
very, very good care of my wife and me. to understand what I am going through.
This ‘open letter’ is based on several If I keep repeating myself do not snap at
conversations I have had with friends, me and say you just said the same thing a
especially in the extended lockdowns when minute ago. When you were a little child
we’ve embraced this not-so-new platform and we went out, if it took a little long to
called Zoom. Read on… return home you would keep repeating,
“Papa ghar kabhi aayega, ghar kabhi
When a child is born, the parents wrap aayega?” almost incessantly and we would
their baby in a protective blanket. They divert your attention to something else.
teach the baby to talk, to walk. If the child Often we would read the same story night
falls down, parents pick up the baby and after night till you fell asleep, so bear with
dust off the hurt. me.
Sometimes parents unfortunately When you see how ignorant I am with
may have to relearn all these functions technology – I don’t understand the
themselves. basics and I am slow with the internet and
Parents see a reflection of themselves telephony – please be patient. Remember
in their children and indulge them. They how patiently we taught you do the little
nurture and nourish their children with things like eating appropriately, getting
overflowing love. The child outgrows the dressed, combing your hair, wearing
blanket but the protection remains. One shoes, learning tables, tying and untying
fine day, the role is reversed and the child life’s everyday knots. Now if I drop food
throws the blanket around the parent’s or water on my clothes, remember you did
shoulders. these very things and we cleaned up. After
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