The Greatest Injustice

We grow up.

We get busy.

We become “mature,” “wise,” and “responsible.”

But in the process...

Do you know the biggest injustice we do to our parents?

We forget how to be their children.

🧓 From Students to "Teachers"

Once, we were the ones asking:

“Papa, how do I ride a bike?”

“Mama, how do I tie my shoes?”

And they patiently answered, taught, guided… with love.

But now?

We say:

“Abba, don’t do that, it’s wrong.”

“Ami, why did you mess this up again?”

“You don’t understand how things work now!”

“Why are you here? You’ll just cause trouble.”

"Let me explain—again!"

Somewhere along the way, we became their instructors, their correctors, their judges.

The very parents who once lit our path—we now try to dim theirs.

And that, right there, is the quiet cruelty we often don’t even notice.

🧠 We Forget That They’re Changing Too

We forget...

With age, our parents are not just getting old.

They are becoming like children again.

Their minds are softening, letting go of burdens they carried for decades.

They don’t need discipline. They don’t need lessons.

They need:

A little joy

A little patience

A gentle hug

A warm smile

The feeling of still being needed and respected

🗣️ Don’t Take Away Their Power

In our attempts to "help," we often take away their dignity.

Please, don’t do that.

Don’t take away their power to:

Speak freely

Scold with love

Be heard with respect

Make mistakes without being belittled

Love without boundaries

These small things are their world now.

They may not understand your new technology, your career choices, or the fast-paced lifestyle you live…

But they do understand your tone.

They feel your attitude.

And they know—when their time is fading.

💭 The Shell of Silence

If we keep correcting them…

Keep reminding them that the world has moved on without them…

They slowly retreat.

They begin to shrink into silence, feeling like a burden.

They stop asking.

Stop speaking.

And eventually… they start falling sick — emotionally, then physically.

Not because of illness, but because of loneliness.

Because they no longer feel seen, heard, or valued.

🧒 Be Their Child Again

So if you truly want to make your parents happy,

Don’t try to be too “clever,” too “righteous,” too “correct.”

Just be their child again.

Let them feel that they still hold that role in your life.

That they still matter.

That even in their weakness, they are still your strength.

📝 A Poem to Remember

Let’s end with these beautiful, soul-stirring words by Saud Usmani:

How can I divide them into boxes that are the days of my life?

All days are my father’s days,

All days are my mother’s days.

💡 Final Thoughts: Love, Not Lessons

In the end, we’re not meant to teach our parents how to live.

We’re meant to love them for how they taught us.

They don’t need perfection from us.

They just need us to sit beside them, hold their hand, and say:

“I’m still your little one… and I always will be.”

Let’s not wait for regrets. Don’t let your love reach them only as tears on their grave. While they are still with you, celebrate them. Hug them without reason. Say “thank you” for all the silent sacrifices they made. Sit beside them and listen—even if you’ve heard the story a hundred times before. Time is quietly slipping through your fingers, and one day, the chair they sit on may be empty. So cherish them while they’re here. Your presence, your softness, and your respect are the greatest gifts you can give. In their eyes, you will always be their child.