Promotion in Responsbilities
For a long time after marriage
I thought I was very responsible -
Growing in my career, while also
taking care of the house, husband and kid.
Little did I understand,
the blissful life I had been leading.
I had to wait 15 years
to get to the next level.
Our parents reached an age
when they couldn’t live alone anymore.
As good dutiful children,
we brought them home to be taken care of.
Then came my promotion,
from carefree life to caregiver.
The plant I was managing
suddenly turned into a forest.
“Carrot and stick” can work on children-
but only “patience and care” works on parents.
One doesn’t become a gardener overnight -
it takes time, mistakes and lessons for that.
They are no longer guests at my house -
instead, I needed to tweak my schedule.
Breakfast at 8, lunch – never late;
Taste for the tongue, with smile on lips.
With my husband by my side,
we learnt to tend the forest together.
By tackling issues hand in hand,
we made room for creepers, trees and shrubs.
A strong house needs sturdy pillars,
and people willing to hold each other up.
That was the balance I had to strike -
until then, I was a guest in my own house.
However, old age is also a phase -
everyone will eventually get there;
Just like how they raised us once,
it is now our turn to return the favour.
The house has to hold us all –
the old, the young, and those in between.
Somewhere between giving and receiving,
I have to find myself again.
The strongest support for responsibilities
is adjustment – from all sides;
Just like a root pushing against rock,
I will find a way to keep growing strong.
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