Sometimes insights arrive at a time and place least expected. I was browsing through a French magazine while waiting for the Eurostar door to open at the London train station on my return trip from Paris to London last week. An interview of the famous actress Isabelle Adjani caught my attention. Her new movie has just came out. I am far from a fan of hers as all the characters she portrayed are quite disturbed which often time (not always) is a reflection of the actor/actress’s own experiences.
What stroke me was she said she is now acting as the “parent” of her parents in addition to having 2 children of her own though she claimed that she did not receive the parental love she wanted in her own childhood. Her statement showed a lot of maturity and made me think the meaning of “parenting” one’s parents.
To put the question differently: How do parents (normally-to use this word loosely) take care of his/her child? A couple of thoughts came to my mind though I am not a parent myself.
1) Loads of patience: Often time, children don’t understand the situation they are in, sometimes due to their mental and physical developments, and parents need to explain to them patiently again and again. Do we have the same degree of patience towards our parents as they may be slowing down in their mental and physical abilities?
2) Love unconditionally: Parental love is the strongest love of all. When the table is turned to “parent” our parents, can we apply the same degree of love reciprocally?
Food for thoughts.