Talk to your parents sometimes...
When a person opens their eyes in this world, the first faces they become familiar with are those of their parents. A mother's affection, a father's compassion, the warmth of their embrace, and the sweetness of their voice all come together to create a world where there is only love, where every need is taken care of before it arises, and where every tear is wiped away before it falls. In childhood, we spontaneously talk to them, sharing our little joys, incomplete sentences, and disorganized thoughts, and they understand the full meaning of our hearts even in those broken words. But as we grow older, gain awareness, and the busyness of the world increases, a strange distance begins to develop. The same tongue that never used to stop now falls silent in front of parents. The same heart that used to tell them everything is now not even willing to spend a few moments with them.
This is a tragedy of human behavior that we feel but do not seriously consider. We can talk to our friends for hours, make countless comments on social media, and share stories of our lives with strangers, but when it comes to parents, we run out of time. This shortage is not actually of time, but of priorities. We have pushed the importance of those relationships to the back of our lives that are actually our foundation.
The Holy Quran repeatedly draws our attention to the fact that treating parents well is not just a moral virtue but a religious duty. Allah Almighty says that worship none but Him and treat your parents kindly, and if they reach old age, do not say "Ugh" to them, but speak to them gently. This command is not limited to mere outward respect but guides us towards a complete way of thinking, which includes honoring parents, serving them, and having loving conversations with them. Conversation, which is seemingly a simple act, is actually the most effective way to connect hearts. When children sit with their mother and listen to her day's events, or spend a few moments with their father and learn from his experiences, it is not just spending time but a renewal of a spiritual and emotional connection.
In the teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the relationship with parents has also been given extraordinary importance. He (peace be upon him) said that Allah's pleasure is in the pleasure of the father, and Allah's displeasure is in the displeasure of the father. These words shake us to consider what things we are giving importance to in our daily lives. We strive in worship, but if our parents long to talk to us, if they feel that their children have become distant from them, then this is a deficiency that no worship can compensate for. Serving parents is not just about fulfilling their physical needs, but also about keeping their hearts happy, and the easiest way to keep their hearts happy is to talk to them, listen to them, and make them feel that they are still the most important part of our lives. Many times we spend many hours in worship or in our daily tasks, we are not aware of eating and drinking, or we sacrifice sleep, but in the end, when we take stock, we are tired when it comes to sitting with our parents or talking to them, our heart wants to sit or talk tomorrow, but tomorrow passes in the same way.
*Have you ever thought that if in that tomorrow, you are there, your work is there, your tiredness is there, but your parents are not??*
Today's society is a victim of a strange contradiction. We have connected with the whole world through technology, but we have become disconnected from the people living in our own homes. Even while living under the same roof, the distances between hearts are increasing. Parents often remain silent, they do not express their complaints, but their eyes, their footsteps, their spontaneous glances say everything. A mother who is busy with household chores all day long, secretly wants her sons, daughters, and daughters-in-law to come and sit with her, talk to her, and listen to her joys and sorrows. A father who returns home after working hard all day long wishes that his son would sit with him, consult with him, and benefit from his experiences. Or sometimes an old father who does not go to earn due to the weakness of old age is imprisoned at home, he impatiently waits for his children to sit with him when his sons return from the office or when his daughters come to their parents' house, he waits all day, but when the sons enter the house at night, they are worried about their food and sleep. Whereas this is the same father who, despite being tired from hard work, used to wait for his children as soon as he entered the house, their mischief and their talk would relieve the father's tiredness, but today it seems like sitting with parents is a permanent task for the children for which they have to set a time *Alas, a hundred times alas*
Every parent wishes and is happy to live among their children, to teach them from their experiences, to see their children's new experiences, but when these wishes of parents are not fulfilled, a silent sadness takes root in the heart, which slowly weakens relationships.
The world of psychology also recognizes the fact that a person's emotional health depends on their family relationships. People who have strong relationships with their parents have less mental stress, their confidence increases, and they can face life's problems better. Talking to parents creates a sense of security within a person, which keeps them steadfast in the ups and downs of the world. On the contrary, people who become distant from their parents often fall victim to an inner void, which they try to fill through some other means but are not successful.
Imagine for a moment that the time may come when these beings will not be among us. The chair where the father used to sit will be empty, the room where the mother's voice used to echo will be silent. At that time, we will realize how many precious moments we wasted, how many things we could have said but did not say, how many things we could have listened to but did not listen to. This feeling breaks a person from within, but unfortunately, nothing remains at that time except regret.
The importance of this topic is even greater for women, because they are the ones who shape the atmosphere of the home. If a daughter maintains a loving relationship with her parents, she sets an example not only for herself but also for future generations. If a mother teaches her children that sitting and talking with grandparents is a part of love and respect, then she is actually laying the foundation for a strong family system. If a wife brings her husband closer to his parents and becomes close to them herself, then God's mercy is descending on that home. A woman has the power to make the home just a place to live or to make it a cradle of love, respect, and belonging.
The need is to review our busyness and see if we really don't have time, or if we have stopped making time. At night when we lie in bed, we use our phones to relieve our tiredness, we scroll through social media, in which hours pass, if we spend the same time with our parents, sitting next to our father and listening to his day's events, or lying with our head in our mother's lap and listening to some of our own and some of our mother's stories, then the mind will automatically become calm, the heart will be happy, the parents will be satisfied, and thus the Lord sitting in the heavens will write His vast mercies and blessings in your destiny.
Talking to parents does not require a special occasion or a long time. A few minutes are enough, if they are spent with sincerity and attention. Listening to their past stories, asking about their health, or simply spending time with them in silence, these are all actions that strengthen the love between us and them.
It should be remembered that the existence of parents is a blessing, and it is necessary to appreciate every blessing. If we do not appreciate this blessing, it can be taken away from us, and then we cannot bring it back even if we want to. Therefore, it is necessary that we change our behavior from today, correct our priorities, and give our parents the place they truly deserve.
In the end, it is enough to say that the most precious conversation in life is the one we have with our parents. This conversation not only makes their hearts happy but also brings peace and blessings to us. Therefore, take some moments out of your busy life, sit with them, talk to them, and make them feel that they are still the most beautiful and precious part of our lives.
*Talk to your parents sometimes...* *Before time takes this opportunity away from us forever.*