Dear John Rose,
Happy
Birthday! I dare wish you all choicest blessings on this great day and days to
come, though I do fear that this very greeting may annoy you…
You
are in your late fifties and in course of time, you may be retiring too. It
seems that you are happy and contended with your ‘family’, its extensions and
your professional engagements… But, deep down something must be troubling you
or rather prick your conscience, especially with regard to the one who had
given birth to you… While going out of the way to do ‘justice’ to your paternal
feelings so decidedly, have failed to acknowledge even your filial bondages,
let alone the sibling concerns…
You
must be aware that your mother is 80 plus… Apparently she looks healthy, but
not necessarily happy… She expects, nay earns for your return ‘home’… You may
not be quite willing to look failed, lost… There is nothing wrong for a son to
fail before his mother, though she may be the last person to see you fail. If
you can’t come down to meet her, she won’t mind, I think, to meet you anywhere,
if you prefer so.
Will
it not be much better to visit her while alive than come as an alien when
everything is over? What hinders you not to visit her… Do you think that you
are leaving a good example for your children… Your in-laws may not be quite
willing that you visit her… At present you seem to be an orphan having none of ‘your
own’… This may be what anyone would like when he/she wants that you depend on
him/her exclusively…
You
may doubt anyone, if you want, but certainly not your mother who is guileless
in any manner. She might have had preferences which don’t warrant such a
sanction to this day… Better clear the matter at the earliest while she is
still with us… She can’t even think as you people do, nor can she argue to put
anyone down, the least you… she only knows to shed tears which you might not
have known really… that tears are rolling down to this day, especially because
of your self-imposed exile from home…
Yes,
you did reach her for some time monthly amounts which she might not have really
needed… That is not all a son could do to his mother… she earns to see you… don’t
postpone it please… let this birthday of yours be a surprise to that poor
mother and let her remaining days be that of contentment and peace…
I
may keep this type of ‘correspondence’ even if you don’t mind, but not on our
mother again, because no ‘brother’ needs to plead for his mother to his ‘own
brother’… At least call her somehow over the phone which may in course of time
break the ice…
Now,
let it be a matter between you and your mother… and this would be my last
intervention as I feel duty bound to let you know of her mind…
Let
me wind up this plea, wishing you again all graces from above …
