I met an old
friend after years and we talked about family, relationships and compromises
over some beer. As our talk delved into seriousness, we talked about children
and their future. Of course, I don’t have any now! He is a father of two
beautiful girls. We then got into talking about the future of his girls. He
expects his daughters to look after him when old and frail. I retaliated saying
how can you expect your children to do that? Kids change and they change fast
and I could put this shrewd fact into his brains.
Men marry in
haste and women in curiosity! At least that’s what I have mostly found out to
be. You have put on so much effort to keep your raison d’être intact of being
in love, getting married and having children.
Upon
comparison, friends declare, I have my kid in the 3rd grade. I think
you and others like you will have children when you grow old and who will look
after you. I don’t know but I am not expecting my children to look after me
when I am old. What worth are you when you as the supposed bread winner can’t
secure an old age retirement scheme besides securing your children’s future!
Expecting
your young to look after you is absurd in today’s natural world. I don’t want
to offend the ones who do look after their parents now with passion. But the
fact is, will all of today’s children be a responsible adult in future? I cannot even imagine how will be mine!
In a fairly
traditional family set up like ours, the supposed husbands or ‘Magpas’ don’t
have the right when it comes to the wife’s family affairs. This system has been
hereditary and people still hold onto such belief no matter however modern one
is. The townspeople now may find this ridiculous but ask any country bumpkin
about this practice. The wealth of the family should be kept within the
family-that’s why the women folks not the men.
The point is
people change, time changes, generations change and with it changes occur in
every sphere of one’s life. So it’s high time that parents now must work a
little extra to save it for the grey old days for themselves, otherwise you
never know! And expecting your children to look after you when frail is now a
thing of the past. Also, you cannot even defend for sure whether or not you
child will be there to home you later in life! Perhaps a huge food for thought
and a thing to ponder upon!
Will you now
start working for the benefit of you and your children?
PS: This is
just a lopsided opinion of my conversation with an old mate and readers can
draw your own conclusions about the future of your own besides working for your
children’s future.
Nicely written Lobzang sir...Loved to read your article ...
ReplyDeletePleasure sancha
DeleteWhile I fully agree that people are changing with which things are changing, but I still bear a hope that one's own children would look after when his/her parents becomes frail with age. That hope I believe would be present in many parents and to-be-parents. Per se that could reason they'd have children. Just my personal opinion. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteWould look after meant a lot and I too hope young these days instill this duty in them...
ReplyDeleteI believe with sir. It's sad to learn many children avoid their thanking parents. But I won't avoid my parents.
ReplyDeleteThat's very sweet of you Jigme. Please do that! This was the reason why I wrote this update!
ReplyDelete