When Mother Teresa was asked, “What should we do to spread peace in the world?”

She replied, “Start loving your family more.”

Yes, love begins at home. This message says it all, but how we implement this message to bring peace in the world is completely up to us. This message of Mother Teresa inspired me to write something about it and spread it in my own way. You will get to know by the end of this article why I have chosen this completely uncommon title.

In the pursuit to get through our mundane routine, we have lost the essence of being with our parents. Communicating, spending priceless moments and doing little things for them each day seems dispensable in order to make time for all that we have involved ourselves with.

We have always seen our parents try to adapt themselves in every situation. They go out of their way to meet our needs and wants, but never let us know what they actually want from us. Some of us do care enough to find out or perceive what they expect from us, but most of the time we think that we are doing enough and our parents are not kids, so they don’t need our attention.

To cut a long story short, it’s completely in our hands to take out time for them, which really isn’t just for them, but for ourselves too.

Here are a few tips to manage doing little things for your parents on a regular basis and whose impact will be certainly immeasurable.

Think like a parent for your parents

Recall all the mandatory things your parents do for you on regular basis, for your ease. List them down on a piece of paper and now it’s your turn to make it a habit to do things for their ease and comfort.

• Don’t forget to greet your parents each morning with a big smile on your face. This will make their day winsome.

• If your parents are working people, analyse all the chores they do for preparation of the next morning for going to work, like ironing clothes, polishing shoes and all the routine things. You can do them instead and it would release much of their work burden at home.

• Since childhood, I have seen my mother blessing us by saying good words and prayers, when I used to leave home to go anywhere, especially for school in the morning. Now it’s our turn to repeat the same and say something positive or wish them well when they are leaving home to go somewhere. This act is considered a protection shield.

Be a micro-observer

Parents are very good observers and I have not understood till today how they get to know what we want, when we want and how much we want, but they always find out about our needs, oftentimes even before us. Without fail, they forget about their own personal necessities. Make sure you also try to observe what their needs and wants are and do all that is needed for their well-being.

• If they take any medicines, provide them on time and remind them when to take it because they can be careless about their own health in looking after the needs of others.

• Most of the time they forget where they keep their spectacles. Do leave what you are doing help them in finding it so that they don’t get panicky while searching for their glasses at the time they need them the most. And when you find it laying around, place them at the right place where they can easily see it.

• Ask them each night before going to bed, if they need a head or leg massage. More than easing their pain, it will be a good way to spend some relaxing time with them when they can unwind.

Cook for your parents

Take out time each day and cook for them with great love and attention. This will reduce your mother’s burden of kitchen work too. And if you can’t cook, you can make tea or coffee or just get them a glass of water whenever they get up to drink.

Make it a habit, this activity will do miracles to your happy family life. Do it with positivity and its vibes will resonate in the house to make it a relaxing place for all.

Communicate regularly

The last and the most vital tip I want to share is: speak to your parents each day. By speaking I mean really talk to them, communicate about your day, feelings, or just any mundane news. The company of their children each day for some time is what that they desire, and it is not very hard to do for all that they do for us all their lives. All they want is to be loved and cared by their children.

Mother Teresa once said: “The greatest suffering is to feel alone, unwanted and unloved.”

Knowingly or unknowingly, we have isolated ourselves in such a way that we hardly get time to be with the most important people in our lives. It’s time to come out of our comfort zone and start living with our parents in the true sense.

Do not postpone having conversations with them at any cost, share with them everything, as they are the people who are actually interested in our lives.

Listen to them when they are sharing something with you. They have so much to say.

Do not forget to make an eye contact with them. It’s always been the major part of effective conversation. Making eye contact shows how much you respect the speaker and that you are interested in listening to them.

So, keep your cell phone and other so called important matters of your life aside and surprise your parents with your undivided attention.

Published in Dawn, Young World, January 23rd, 2021