Some moments change you forever.
Not loudly… not dramatically… but deeply.
It was an ordinary day. I was in the middle of a counselling session, the kind where you are fully present for someone else’s pain, holding space, listening with your whole heart. I usually never put my phone on silent during sessions. That day… I did.
My family knows better than to disturb me when I am working.
So, when my counselling room door suddenly started banging loudly, urgently. I froze.
This wasn’t normal.
When I looked up, I saw my daughter standing at the door, phone in hand, panic written all over her face.
“Maa… Papa has been calling you for the last 15 minutes. Why is your phone on silent? It’s urgent. Speak to him.”
My heart sank.
When someone tries to reach you again and again, your mind does not wait for facts. It runs straight into fear. I picked up the phone with trembling hands and said a quiet, scared, “Hello.”
What I heard next broke the floor beneath my feet.
“Reach the hospital immediately. Papa (he meant my father) has had a massive heart attack. He is here now. Situation is under control… do not panic… drive safe… but come now.”
I had lost my mother just two years ago.
And now this.
In those few seconds, your entire life flashes in front of your eyes. Every memory, every regret, every unsaid word suddenly screams for attention.
I somehow gathered myself, apologised to my client, explained the emergency, and rushed out.
By the time I reached the hospital, my father was already in the OT. My brother and bhabhi stood outside…. silent, helpless, scared. The way families stand when life decides to test you without warning.
The Freelancer’s Journey: Balancing Passion, Parenthood & Professionalism
By God’s grace, he had reached on time.
By grace, the doctors acted quickly.
By grace, one artery was cleared with a stent.
Two days later, another one was unblocked.
And today…
He is recovering.
He is alive.
And I am grateful beyond words.
What I Want to Tell You Today
This blog is not about fear.
It is about awareness.
It is about waking up before life is forced to wake you up.
Please… spend time with your parents.
Real time.
Not forwarded messages.
Not festival calls.
Not “I will visit soon”.
Actual presence.
We all have had that thought at least once:
“Kaash maine aur time diya hota…”
“Kaash unse woh baat keh di hoti…”
“Kaash thoda aur saath baith gaye hote…”
Regret is the heaviest emotion to carry, especially when time no longer gives you another chance.
Your parents sacrificed sleep, comfort, dreams, and sometimes their dignity just to build your life.
And in return…
They do not want your money.
They do not want luxury.
They do not want perfection.
All they want is you.
Your presence.
Your attention.
Your warmth.
Your time.
Do not reduce them to:
- Babysitters
- house managers
- “they are old anyway,” furniture in the background of life
They are not resources.
They are your roots.
Before It’s Too Late…
Sit with them.
Listen to their stories. Even the repeated ones.
Hold their hand.
Ask how they are and actually wait for the answer.
Create moments that will live inside you when they no longer can.
Create memories.
Laugh with them.
Travel if you can.
Eat together.
Watch something silly together.
Do nothing together.
Because one day…
You will wish for one more phone call.
One more argument.
One more scolding.
One more smile.
And life… may not give you that chance.
A Gentle Question for You
If today was the last day…
Would you be proud of how you showed up for your parents?
If not. Do not wait.
Your success means nothing if the people who made it possible feel forgotten.
And if your parents are still with you today…
Go hug them.
Go sit with them.
Go tell them you love them.
Not tomorrow.
Not on a “special day”.
Today.
Because love postponed often becomes love regretted.