11/04/2016
I was waiting to board my next flight at the London Heathrow Airport. I called up my parents (thanks to VoIP!) to let them know that I'm doing good so far and about to board my next flight all the way to diametrically opposite side of the planet.
The call went for full 20 minutes. This gentleman, a British citizen in his 50s, took a seat beside me. The moment I hung up the call, the gentleman greeted me, "Hello! Are you from India?".
"Hi. Yes, I am. And guessing from your accent, you seem to be a local."
"Oh yes, I am. I live here in London. Were you talking to your parents?"
"Yeah, I was."
"Do you live with them?"
"No, I am working in Hyderabad as a software engineer, while my parents live in a rather small town near Calcutta, which is more than 1000 km from Hyderabad."
"Gosh! I can't imagine that! How often do you talk to them?"
"Well, atleast twice everyday! I was just calling them up to let them know that I am safe and sound in Heathrow and about to board my next flight."
"Twice everyday!!!! Seriously?"
"uhhh, yeah :/ "
"And don't you get irritated by that?"
"Why would I????!!!! I love talking to them, and I know I should because they wish their children to be in touch! Don't they? You must be knowing that better, being a parent yourself, right?"
Silence dawned on his face. I wasn't sure if I had hurt his feelings. With a big sigh, he continued,
"It's not that very common here. My son lives in Reading, which is quite near to London. But he hardly visits me. He calls me up once only during the weekend, sometimes, I don't hear his voice for days!"
I could see tears in his eyes. I really didn't know what to do. He further continued,
"Your parents must be so happy! I'm jealous of them. You are a good son. Make sure you don't disappoint them ever. Will you?"
"Absolutely not! Thank you so much.
(after a minute of pause)
Why don't you call up your son now? Just say a hi to him, how about that? You'll feel better."
He gladly accepts my advice, and dials his son's number. I could faintly hear the voice from the other side.
"Hi Dad. Something wrong?"
"No son, everything's fine. I was just...just..wanted to catch up with you on phone. Boarding my flight to Dallas. Your mother's here as well."
"Have a safe journey Dad. I'll catch up with you later. Need to go now. Bbye!"
And he hangs up the phone.
The gentleman looked at me, "He's not like you. You're a good fellow, and a kind son."
And he trudged away to another seat in the back. I could clearly see heavy drops of tears in his eyes. I wanted to make him feel good. But then, the announcement came in for boarding.
In your 20s, the most important thing you should do is stay in touch with your parents regularly. Their happiness is overwhelming when they hear your voice, trust me. On one side, I could hear my parents' joy and happiness on the phone, and on the other, the dismay of this old gentleman. A couple of minutes of call to your parents will not kill your time, but rather shower their blessings on you. Be a good son/daughter
Via : Quora
