A Story of Reconnecting With Family

Mr. Sharma desired that his one and only son attend his retirement ceremony on his last day of work. It might have just been wishful thinking.

Abhijeet was packing his bags to travel to Paris for the first time in ten years to see his parents. After he left for school, he had not seen them again. He was 18 at the time. Abhijeet’s success today meant that life was full of activity.

He anticipated feeling at home as Abhijeet entered his former residence in the sleepy town where he grew up. He looked for his favourite swing on the lawn but couldn’t find it.

However, the overly excited puppy was now too old to move. So, he didn’t expect his dog to jump on him. He remembered seeing nothing. He didn’t realize how much older his parents looked. For the first time in years, Abhijeet felt something move in his heart.

When they saw their son standing in the doorway, Mr. and Mrs. Sharma looked at Abhijeet in disbelief. As they awkwardly smiled at Abhijeet, he walked toward them. After the customary hugging, small talk followed. He said, “Dad, I’m here for some business.” No one was asking any of the questions. He thought it was best to remain silent at that point.

Abhijeet met a lot of strangers at Mr. Sharma’s retirement party who seemed excited to meet him. His younger coworkers told him that his father always talks about his son’s accomplishments. Abhijeet’s father did not appear to have been aware of this. It appeared as though his harshest critic actually valued him.

The estranged father and son went to the nearby market after the event, and Mrs. Sharma rushed home to make her son’s favourite dish.

Abhijeet saw his aging mother as dinner preparations continued. She had irregular breathing. He recalled her habit of hurrying him back from school. When he asked, she told him about her asthma and fluctuating blood pressure. In case her blood sugar dropped, she always carried chocolates with her. Additionally, he was unaware that she owned the walking stick in the room’s corner. Abhijeet was overwhelmed by a wave of emotions and didn’t know what to do with them.

He saw a flash of the past few years about his exciting and hectic life, the occasional phone calls to his parents, and the customary gift that was occasionally sent to a friend who was in India.

What did not work? When did the world’s most straightforward relationship become so complicated? Why was the father-son relationship so far apart?

When Abhijeet looked at his parents doing their chores, he felt deep regret and sadness inside. He realized for the first time in years that he was wrong. He regretted not being there for them when they needed him the most. He felt empty inside all weekend, and it kept bugging him. He wanted to alleviate their suffering and wanted to share his side of the story with his parents. He was ready to weep.

None of that took place. He could not. He was able to hug his mother and father for the longest time. Their wrinkled faces were wet with tears. Abhijeet broke down crying, “I am sorry, ma. I was away for so long.”

Finally, Abhijeet was at home.

Moral of A Story of Reconnecting With Family

We should cherish the relationships in our lives and not take them for granted. No matter how busy our lives get, it’s important to make time for the people who matter most to us, especially our parents.

It’s never too late to make amends and repair relationships with the people we love. It’s important to recognize and appreciate the value of family and not let time or distance get in the way of our bonds with them.