A colleague of mine had his father taken recently to the hospital. After few days he was released, but require a lot of care by people around him due to his old age and blood pressure. He is in his 70s! My colleague, who is in his early 40s and still a bachelor. For that reason, the son took all responsibilities of taking care for his beloved father, who is my nature rejects the fact that he is getting old and that his health won't allow him to do many things, such as driving for long distance and time, or go out a lot... He even get furious of the fact that he is seeing his own friends being ill. Due to that, the son noticed how his father turn more depressed by the day, and complaining more than before... He even started questioning the purpose for being alive in the first place if he (or others in his age) suddenly becoming an eating and sleeping machines. The son tried many times to comfort his poor father, by helping him with shopping or take him to visit other friends and come back for him...etc This didn't help the situation, because the father was sometimes getting angry at his son.
Last weekend it was one of these days with such a very discussion when the son was almost fed up and told his father: "Look to what is happening in Iraq; fathers and mothers go to the market for shopping but they don't come back for their children, why? because they were blown up by a suicide bomber!!! what do you think of that? We can't keep complaining about the good life we have while there are others like us, humans, die with no reason. Do you think it is justice? is it fair for them? Shouldn't we see it as a lesson to be more subtle and satisfied?" The father looked at his son, his eyes slowly relaxed and his rage against himself and his son vanished in seconds. He nodded and said "yes, you are right, son, you are right." The old man was quiet for the rest of the evening, is it thinking of what is happening to people in Iraq, or is it a matter of reconsidering his thoughts?
P.S. I put the picture of Kirk and Micheal Douglas, because my colleague's father's situation is similar to the current situation Kirk Douglas is experiencing now, and my colleague is some how acts like Michael's... not physically but attitude wise.
2 comments:
Oh Mix, it is a sad frustrating time for both your friend and his dad..
Being old and dependent on someone else is hard especially for a proud man.It would be hard to see the good in life when you feel like a burden to those you love.
Thats not to say I dont feel for the son too. One thing that the son will have is memeories of these time.
Im sure both love each other dearly, but the day to day stuff is hard to get through. Your friend is also lucky he can talk his frustrations out with you.
And yes both realise that things could be so much tougher if they were still in Iraq, In a way your friend is focussing the dad on the positives, and that is a good thing I feel
They do love each other very much! The son did not tell me about this story out of frustration. You are right, mentioning Iraq to the father was an attempt to point out to the positive side. It helped, yet, you said it, it is hard for a proud man like the father to submit himeself that easy
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