As children, I personally think we owe our parents everything and not just gratitude, and here’s what I mean by that. While there are families where parents completely depend on their children financially or otherwise, since I didn't come from such a family and can't really give details why they do so, I won’t speak for those situations. Instead, I will share my own experience.
Growing up, I would often hear my dad emphasize that everything he did and was doing for us was for our own good. He would often remind us that we were the ones who would ultimately benefit from his efforts, not him. He had a clear vision of what he wanted for his children: he wanted us to have a bright future built on education and self-reliance. He would always advise us to take our academics seriously, saying that education was the greatest gift he could give us. So he actively supported us every step of the way; he provided everything that we needed and gave us the opportunities to succeed.
Even after I graduated from the university, my dad continued to be involved in my journey. He was one of the first people to look for job opportunities for me, helping me submit my CV and talking to everyone and anyone that could help. There were times he would go to some organization to tell them about his daughter that's a graduate. My dad was just selfless. What's beautiful about the whole thing is he never did any of this because he wanted something in return or was expecting me to repay him. He genuinely wanted me to succeed for my own benefit, not his.
When I finally got my first job, I remember telling my parents about my salary. Not once did any of them ask me for money. In fact, when I sent my dad a token from my first paycheck as a gesture of appreciation, he returned it with extra money added. In his words, he said, "I don’t need your money. I want you to save as much as you can, take care of yourself, and if you want, you can give a token to your mom or siblings. But I want you to know that we are not your responsibility."
Up until the day I resigned from my place of work, my dad never stopped advising me about savings and planning for my future. Even now, with the way the economy of my country is and things not being as they were for my dad, he has never called to ask for money or made any demands of me. Instead, I’m the one who sends money to my parents whenever I can, and their response is always the same: "We don’t want to be a burden to you. We will manage with what we have."
I am happy that I have the opportunity to give back to them in my own way. In fact, I often think that if things were still financially stable for my dad, I wouldn’t have this chance to support them, and this opportunity itself is a blessing to me. I owe them so much, and this is not just because of the financial sacrifices they made but because of the love, encouragement, and unwavering support they have always shown to me and my siblings.
Becoming a parent has really made me truly understand the depth of my parents' love and sacrifices. There are so many things they did for us that we took for granted as kids—things we couldn’t fully appreciate until adulthood. My parents were never the type to scold or quarrel with us for failing an exam. Instead, they would encourage us and remind us that failure is a part of life.
I am so grateful to them, and I also feel a sense of responsibility towards them even though I know they won't want me to, and this isn't because I feel guilt or anything but because I was very fortunate to have good parents, which not everyone is fortunate to have. I have seen their sacrifices firsthand over and over again, and I know how much they have given up to ensure we had the best possible start in life.
For me, giving back to my parents isn’t a burden; it’s a rare privilege. And I would do it over and over again as far as I have the means to.
All images are ai generated
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