Diary of a Poor Mother

Deadlines, busy schedules, status calls, overtime work, cancelled family trips…
I guess every one of us are familiar with the above terms. And we would be proud of our achievements and treasure the appreciation from various quarters at work. We may also get promotions for our sleepless nights and sacrificing our personal time to fulfil our professional commitments.

Well… we can’t deny we do what we do to keep our family comfortable and happy. While we are immersed in our busy schedules and project commitments, we remain oblivious to the plight of the people who yearn for our love and attention.

Below is a fictional letter of a mother written to her son who has almost forgot that he has a family and sacrificed his health and happiness, while he won laurels at work.

Dear son,
I have never imagined a life without you. When time had come for you to move far away from me, the fact that you have moved for a happier and better life comforted me. The thought that you are happy gave me happiness.
But when you said that you are sacrificing your happiness and health due to your job, my happiness was lost. My hope was crashed.
Your father earned very less, but he managed to keep the family happy.
Money is important to buy luxuries that may keep you happy, but in the pursuit of earning more money you are sacrificing exactly what you aim to achieve. You are sacrificing your happiness, disregarding your health, neglecting your family.
Have you ever wondered how a family with no roof to shelter and very less food to eat manage to smile a lot more than us? They have something more valuable to share among themselves. They have love. They have time for each other.
I heard someone say time is money. You may convert time into money. But you can never convert money into love. And there can be no greater gift to your family than the love you share with them.
I have had my share of happiness in my life. I have delightfully seen you grow. I cherished your childhood; I had been proud of your achievements as you grew. Now I do not worry about by lonely old age as much as your busy youth. I agree you should work hard, but you should maintain balance in life, have time with family and share some laughter.
Remember son, family is the real purpose of our existence. They add meaning to our life. Never sacrifice your family for anything.
Be happy son. Keep your family happy.
Love you forever.
Mom.

Those were the final words of her mother because by the time he realized his mistake his mother was no more. It was too late for him to make amends.

It’s better to make amends before it’s too late. Work hard; but not hard enough to ignore family. Give some time to family. Share a laughter. Go on occasional trips. Tell them you love them.

No matter how much you succeed; your life is meaningless when you can’t spare a moment of joy with your loved ones.