Children, a family atmosphere filled with love and unity is everyone’s dream. But today, everywhere we look we see family relationships exploding and shattering over trifles. Even if there are only a few bites to eat, a house filled with love and unity is heaven. On the contrary, even if there is plenty of money and wealth, if a house is filled with infighting and disharmony, it will be like hell. Many people fight over trivial things.
Many women say, “My husband says he loves me very much, but can I believe that? He doesn’t even remember our wedding anniversary. This is unforgivable. I cannot live with him anymore.” Children, just because a husband forgets his wedding anniversary doesn’t mean that he doesn’t love you. There may be some specific reason he has forgotten. In such instances, the attitude of compromise is needed—for both couples.
One morning, a man sat down with his son to have breakfast. His wife quickly served him a dosa and chutney. Somehow, the dosa burnt as she was in a hurry given that her husband was running late for work. Still, the husband ate it without saying anything. When the wife realised her husband was eating a burnt dosa, she said, “Oh, that dosa was burnt. Let me make you another one.” The husband said, “No, it’s okay. It is just well-roasted. I like it like that.”
On his way to his office, the man dropped his son off at school. On the way, the son asked him, “Dad, do you really like burnt dosa?” The man replied, “Son, your mother had night duty last night, right? She had worked throughout the night foregoing sleep.
She had returned home in the early morning. She must be very tired. Still, she made breakfast for all of us. Hasn’t she cooked tasty food for us so many times before? Many times we’ve never mentioned how good her cooking was. She would be so hurt if I did not eat the dosa just because it got burnt when she was that tired. I have no problem at all in eating a burnt dosa to make her happy.”
We should recognise the truth that no one in this world is perfect. Love and peace in family relationships can be maintained only if the family members are ready for mutual understanding and compromise.
The writer is a world-renowned spiritual leader