Parents in old age need children's presence

"I'm able to do everything by my own; I don't need anyone's help" Shabana Siddiqui, an elderly housewife, expresses her views while doing shopping in a Saturday market here. Shabana is mother of two sons. Both have settled abroad. Elder, Azhar Siddiqui, is a physics lecturer in King Khalid University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, while the younger, Anwar is an art director in an advertising agency in Dubai.
Shabana, 60, is an osteoarthritis patient. Living with her husband, Akbar Siddiqui, 70, a retired government servant, she uses a walker for her movement. "I do the shopping for groceries while Mr Akbar manages the utility bills affairs. 'Life is, no doubt, difficult without children, but we manage. My children were not prepared to go, but it was me who forced them to go. They have to see their future, instead of the ageing parents," Shabana, the brave mother, explains.
"I think these daily routines and problems are keeping me alive, otherwise I would have been dead long before" says Akbar Siddiqui. 'Our sons daily try to call us, and every time they get some leave they try to come and see us. I'm happy with them. No doubt, Shabana's condition is not good but she is a brave lady, and manages everything by herself. Anwar, the elder son, has promised that during the coming Eid holidays he would take his mother with him for outing, and Shabana is counting days," he said.
"Parents are living gods, for whom one can sacrifice. One should always remember how much pain one's parents must have taken in nurturing and upbringing their children. At the same time, one should also understand the sacrifices made by the parents for the sake of their children", Saleem Ahmed, a neighbour said.
"When parents have sacrificed many of their enjoyments just for the sake of their children, isn't it our moral and religious responsibility to look after our parents in their old age when they need us the most, instead of going abroad just for the sake of our future?" Saleem further said. Here we have seen an example of brave parents those who are sacrificing their happiness for the sake of their children's happiness only. The question arises whether the children can't do the same for their parents? "Anwar might not agree on this point, but it is the truth that neighbours are taking care of the old couple, instead of their sons who are duty-bound by Allah to do that," Saleem says.
"Parents always prefer to live with their children as they are emotionally attached with them. Our financial help, phone calls or messages won't satisfy them. They need a family around, no matter in what way. Whenever my mom visits me I feel all her ailments seem to recede," Mrs Saleem Ahmed said.