When I think of what my parents passed through to train me over the years, I don't wait for anyone including them to tag me as their investment before tagging myself. It was practical enough.
My father could not build a personal house of his. However, I saw his peers, who earned lower than him from their farms, build houses. My father concentrated his resources in giving his children quality education right from preschool to the university. I saw myself as his investment. I am sure that he didn't see me in the same light. He did all that he did as a result of love and genuine sacrifice. Today, all that I can offer him is to pray for his soul to rest in peace. He died before I could implement my plan for him as my hero.
I thank God that my mother is alive and whatever I do for her today, I feel that I am not doing enough. If I collect my whole salary and give it to my mother, for instance, I still don't see myself as doing enough. This is to tell you my position regarding the topic.
The care of aging parents should be the concern of the children without being told. For me, parents have the right to ask for assistance from their children. A kid runs to his parents when hungry. At that point, the kid doesn't care whether his parents have any food to give him. All he needs is to get food and eat. A caring parent also goes out of his way to get food on the table for the kids. This is awesome. In my opinion, when the table turns, a parent should be able to call on his child to support him financially or through other means.
The only time that I can have a problem with this is when parents that neglected the wellbeing of their child are now demanding care from the same child. A God fearing child would do his part so that he would not pay evil with evil. However, such parents have no right to pressurize the child.
A parent that raises his children in love and affection wouldn't want to make him unhappy for any reasons. When the love is genuine, you would want the welfare of others ahead of yours. Presently, I prefer going hungry to see that my immediate family and my mother are doing great. My mother, on the other hand, would never allow me to go hungry for her. While I am always concerned about how she feeds and the quality of food that she eats, she is also concerned about the wellbeing of my nuclear family. As a result of this, she would hardly ask me for money or any other assistance. However, I strive to predict and attend to her needs without her asking.
Once there is genuine love from onset, no one between parents and children sees the other as a burden.
I will have to mention this, no one should think that he or she has prepared for old age to the extent of not needing the assistance of his or her children in future. Not all assistance is financial in nature. There are some needs that money can't attend to efficiently. Some assistance are physical, psychological or emotional in nature. No one renders them better than a bloodline.
To conclude this piece, I will say that it is fair for the young ones to be saddled with the responsibility of taking care of their parents when they are old especially when the parents gave them their all while growing up.
No matter the responsibility placed on your shoulders by your parents, do your best and be convinced that you did your best. Like I mentioned, a lovely and supportive parent knows how to relate with his or her children and not become a burden.
