Whispers of Time: A Heartfelt Tale of Growing Up and Growing Old
I think childhood is inherently self-centered. We cry for ice cream, we protest bedtime, and we sob for sweets. Life revolves sweetly around our needs, wants, and wishes. Then, enter our young, healthy parents, navigating our tantrums and shouts with grace.
Entering adulthood, rather than the world dealing with you, you are on the other side now, dealing with the world. Challenges arise — outgrowing clothes, birthday parties losing goodie bags, navigating puberty with acne and braces. Some days you enjoy it, and some days you sit with your friends and vent over it. Amid the rush and crush of life, you might not realize it, but in some ways, you’re still self-centered.
However, it takes a single moment for all this to change. The realization hits when you see your once-young parents greying, needing reading glasses, and complaining about backaches. They ask you to take them to the doctor, and it dawns on you — while you were growing up, so were they. Suddenly, you crave your childhood bed, and life takes a sudden change.
Now, you become the parent, putting a limit on sweets for your Abbu, scolding your Ammi to put away her phone and sleep. You comfort them, explaining aches are okay, and the doctor assures them, all will be fine. The unexpected responsibility brings an ache, and you yearn for the days when the roles were reversed. Once they helped you again and again with hurdles with your friends, now will have to go to lengths to explain simple concepts again and again.
Sometimes, anger creeps in. Why are they worried about a subtle pain in their leg? You forget that as tough as this transition is for you, it is for them as well. Because they realize the slow age is where the ships heading. This change of time is the law of life. So, life events turn in such a way, that you being young and bright now have to go away. That is when you realize, nothing changed.
Once a parent, always a parent. Regardless of age, they cheer for you, let go, and wish you the best. ‘Now this is what you’re here for, to start your life’ they say. ‘Take care, don’t be scared. We’re good, as long as our child is great.’ Just like that, you’re no longer the self-centered child; you grow up to learn from your parents to live a selfless life.
