Sometimes we hear a song from our past and are transported back to a memory from long ago, albeit a good one or bad one. The echoes of good one make us envious, whereas the same with others fill us with disappointments.
When I turn the pages back, I Remember the good days shared with my grandpa, my baba. I grew to love my baba, who showed me much small kindness like tying my shoelaces, wiping my nose, or offering me the odd sweet. The sightseeing of beautiful town lying very comfortably on his shoulders, feeling the delicious cool breeze on my face, is inseparable from the tale of his heroic deeds. I never needed plastic toys to play, as my baba was always there for me. Sometimes he would be my horse, sometimes my camel and sometimes my elephant. At nights he would be my storyteller, afterall a story was utmost to make me sleep. Those Stories of ghosts...
I remember, I used to ask lots of stupid question like
'who are ghosts.', ' how they became ghosts,' ' are they bad, ''will they eat me, 'and many many more.
Today I laugh at myself, but remembering that I analyzed my baba was such a calm and composed man. He never got pissed off with my silly questions. Instead he respected all of them and answered me as per my level. He always recognized my questions and eventually respected me. Such fine gentlemen he was.
But, as time passed, things begin to change between us; distance played its parts. I met new peoples, made new friends, and in this process somewhere; my baba lost me. I was growing up, and my baba was growing older. He begins to remain tired. In this materialistic world, we are dying for bodily comforts. Daddy and mummy worked hard to meet all of them, so eventually, there was a small responsibility for me to look after my baba. At the early stages, I dealt with it, but with time I was getting frustrated. The chores of him pissed me off. My Clipping, harsh tone never created an easeful zone for him to stay with the easement.
I remember, like the other days, I was getting ready for my school, but I was slightly impunctual that day. I wanted to meet baba as I was signing off in no time, so I went to his room. He was somewhat busy doing some of his crazy stuff, I guess. So I returned from the door without meeting him and went to school. A fifth period I got the news, and I was utterly shaken after hearing that. I felt the earth beneath me tremble, my neck dried with an intense thrust, and my heart drifted with cold. I didn't know how to react, and then I cried; I cried hard. Actually, I screamed. That day was the last day of my baba with me. Till this point of time, when it's been five years he has left us, I regret my decision for not waiting for a few minutes and meeting him before I signed off. I regretted not loving him when he needed it the most. I regret acting so unroyally, and I regret not decorating my memories with his jewels, which I definitely could.
He left me, but his teachings didn't. He taught me to be kind. After all, it's the only language that deaf can hear, and a blind can see. He taught me to be humble. It doesn't even cost a penny, right. He taught me the actual meaning of love and respect. Love doesn't always mean kissing on cheeks or lips or saying, 'I love you. ' It can be shown in little things, too, like he used to do for me by wiping my nose and tying my laces.
Similarly, respect doesn't only belong to elders. It's not only for them; neither it means to hang the head when they are around. Respect can be synonyms with support like my baba supported my silly questions. He was never frustrated; instead, he always helped. The support for every valid view is respect for them. We have been following the trend to respect the elders and love the youngers, but is it the right combination? I guess not. One must often be taught in the Stern school of experience before they can enroll in the liberal college of wisdom because wisdom requires that we work with the inner self to act following the fundamental goodness we all have.
This trend seems to be running out of steam. Perhaps our collective ingenuity will start an exciting new direction for others. This process can only be improved by the application of a little common sense and some imagination. Let's change the trend. Let's start respecting the youngers and loving the elders. Let's be humble. Let's be kind, and Let's not keep any regrets. Let's not save any regrets.
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