A young professional woman told...
Illustration
A young professional woman told the story of her difficult relationship with her father. She had never found it easy to express affection to him. She grew up carrying guilt around inside her over the inability to relate well to him. Returning home after she had established herself in a successful niche in the commercial world, she sat down with her father one evening and tried to say what she had carefully rehearsed all the way from the city. But the words would not come out. At last she simply said, "Dad, I just want to tell you how sorry I am that all these years I've never been able to show you much affection."
Her father looked at her, then let the tears form in his eyes and start to cascade down his cheeks. He said, a touch of melancholy in his voice, "You've got it backwards. It was never your problem. Can't you see that? It was always my problem."
Perhaps we fail to show the honor and respect due our own parents because we have never learned to know what made them who they were, what they've experienced, what troubles them. In spite of everything, our parents need our love and gratitude. Sirach calls us to such expressions of esteem.
Her father looked at her, then let the tears form in his eyes and start to cascade down his cheeks. He said, a touch of melancholy in his voice, "You've got it backwards. It was never your problem. Can't you see that? It was always my problem."
Perhaps we fail to show the honor and respect due our own parents because we have never learned to know what made them who they were, what they've experienced, what troubles them. In spite of everything, our parents need our love and gratitude. Sirach calls us to such expressions of esteem.
