We are certainly responsible for ourselves.

During the last few weeks I have heard on radio, as I drive to work and exercise as well as recreation of one kind or another, that children ought to be responsible for their ageing parents. As parents, is that really good?

Of course, we should be responsible for everything that we can act upon in this world. For example, if we never take the responsibility to help the poor in our society, should they be forced into crime to have a decent meal, then we have only ourselves to blame when they resort to such actions to stay sane and alive. But, there is no necessity to coerce anybody to look after their parents; the suggestion of enforcing such a duty through laws is not the thing to do.

When we say that we are responsible for everything, we must remember that that includes ourselves., we should be responsible for our future which includes the process of growing old. If we are responsible for ourselves, then, as a responsible person, we should think of the future and how our present actions are going to affect it.

We ought to think of our health at the time when we are still healthy. We should act on our own financial situation when we are still young and capable of hard work. We must know how to bring up children with love and understanding so that they will love us in return. However, let us not depend upon them to look after us. We must plan to depend upon ourselves. If they are around to care for us, consider that a bonus.

Why must we be responsible for ourselves and not depend upon our children even though they are caring enough. First, we do not know our future. Look at the families around us and we see parents who outlive their children. To think thus does not in any way indicate negativity or cruelty in our thinking. Things just happen at times. Nothing is predictable and we have to be realistic if we want to be truly prepared for the future.

Then again, there is the type of thinking we develop as a result of being responsible for ourselves. Our thinking moulds our actions. Knowing that we have to be responsible for our future, we plan for it by saving our money consistently. I know of a bachelor who planned to live life to the full, not bothered about old age, by spending every cent he had believing that his pension would be sufficient to take him to his last day. Sad to say, he found his life longer than he had expected, his pension getting insufficient for his needs due to inflation and he had to spend the last few years of his life just surviving miserably. So, we have to plan wisely. We must plan to save no matter how small our income but then we could strive to work harder to earn more. If we are willing, there are ways to do it. I earn more even now by working hard throughout the day although it is for another reason.

Even if we really hope to have our children to lovingly look after us, we must start when our children are young. Love begets love. Nothing comes free. Remember that they do not owe us anything. It is our responsibility to bring our beloved children up well as it is our duty for bringing them into this world. As it is our duty, they do not owe us anything. Whatever we get from them is the result of love, the bonus we get for doing our duty well.

Anyway, if we plan our lives well, everything will fall properly into its place, everything will turn out well. Therefore, planning is important. True success in life, no matter what we have in mind, is no fluke. (Getting millions through a lottery is no success; that is luck.) It’s the result of work.