I was on-call one night and I came across this old woman. I was told she was a (V.I.P) because she was the mother of a great cardiologist ( a heart specialist) here in our hospital. He also owns a big local company for medical equipment. His mother got sick and was admitted to the hospital, as she got better we figured that she cannot live alone and she needed assitance at home. Howeve her son refused to bring someone at home to help her and decided to place her in a nursing home because insurance would cover for that while they won't cover for someone helping her at home. The lady doesn't have enough money to support herself.
She explained to me how upset she is about going to a nursing home. What was really sad is all these doctors coming every while and then to tell her how smart her son is, but she can't tell them back that he is a great son.
I wrote this about the occasion, excuse my crappy English (remember I'm not a poet),
On her aweful bed she laid
thinking of the price she had paid
to raise her son, to make a man
out of her little kid, Jonathan
He was a kid full of energy
He ran and jogged and sang, and loved biology
He said one day, "Mom, I want to become a doctor"
and she said, "You will honey" then looked at her husband, the trucker
She told him, "No more kids, hubby
Jonathan will be a doctor, and we got no more money
He will grow and become a cardiologist"
He answered, "OK, I think he can, I'm no pessimist"
A decade passed, or two
or twenty-two
years, of tears and fears and eventually
Jonathan became a cardiologist, so smart
that all people asked him to check their hearts
The trucker died, and she sighed,
"Where is my son, I'm too old to carry on
I need help, I need a maid
and my little Jonathan is away I'm afraid"
But Jonathan finally came
with all the glory and the fame
stood by her bed's side
wouldn't look at her in the eyes
"To a nursing home you shall go
you'll make friends there, I know,
they'll protect you you anytime and anywhere
and all your complaints they will bear"
She felt the dagger in her heart
stuck by her son who heals the hearts
"I am the one who brought him to this life,
but I'm too weak now, too weak to strive
With time I will be forgotten
and it's way too late to push the rewind button"
Today she left to a nursing home
alone, in tears, torn apart,
in her new bed she slept alone
praying for God to heal the heart of her son, who heals the hearts.
Hareega
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P.S. I came up with the trucker thing and a fake name Jonathan because they rhyme lol, otherwise it's all true...
4 hours ago
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13 comments:
shouldn't cardiologists be rich or sth ?? Can't he afford the cost of someone helping her at home ??
I'd kill myself if i even think of doing this to one of my parents
Nicely put Fares...sad how we are in the US a lonely people inspite of everyone around us, everyone is disconnected from everyone else.
Have her give this story to her son...
A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year old grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table.
But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor.
When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.
The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess.
"We must do something about father," said the son.
"I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor."
So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner.
There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner.
Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl!
When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone.
Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions
when he dropped a fork or spilled food.
The four-year-old watched it all in silence.
One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor.
He asked the child sweetly, "What are you making?"
Just as sweetly, the boy responded, "Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama
to eat your food in when I grow up."
The four-year-old smiled and went back to work.
This is very sad but very true...we should not think that this is only happening in the western world but it is happening in the arab world too!! i wish to die before my kids even think of putting me in a nursing home!!
when we are parents we give and help our kids wishing they grow and become independent and live a full life but when we get old our kids “may” take care of us wishing we die soon to relieve them from the burden!! so sad!!
This is so sad. While raising my kids I always pray to God they will be good when they grow up. I am trying to be a good daughter to make sure my kids will be good too…
I think the parent should raise his/her children the best way possible…but expect nothing in return…because Alla will make them “saleheen “ and will give you “thawab” if you are doing that ONLY for him.
alla ysawwed wijjak ya joonathan 3ala hal 3amleh!!
what goes around comes around hareega.
yjeelak yom tendam 3ala ma sawwyt ya jonathan ya ibn im jonathan
nice poem BTW :D
nice and sad.
You know .. no matter what , we are still blessed , for which in this part of the world it if a person fails his parents and admits them into a nursing house , he will be shamefully looked at ! Its just .. not justified nor humane to "throw" ones parents in a nursing house , because one cannot take care of them in their late years ..
I fear the day when this would sound "normal " in this part of the world ..
amer, welcome here, it's not about the money man, it's about respect and appreciation.
ziad d.... i agree to some extent, many families in the US take very good care of their elderly but what it's sad is how many elderly are being treated by the youngger generation, it's more acceptable to disrespect them.
anonymous.... that was one great story, loved it.
summer....totally agree
jumana... some parents do their best to raise their kids but they unfortuantely nget nothing in return when they need some help.
mala2e6...wa ana adomm sawti ela sawtek wa akool alla la ywatrezlak ya jonathan
lina, thanx
tealover... i share your fear, and expect that this would happen one day! and btw i dont know why william becomes bill lol!
The poem is amazing Haree2a!
I figured out that wutever u do to ur kids they will never be grateful to u once they are grown up and independent….u might say I’m pessimistic ...but its the truth...they will get busy running after fortune and fame and forget their parents ….its life!
why didu delete that arabic poetry. it was so nice.
anonymous.... It was a stupid mistake, i'm still very technologically challenged!! Sorry!
Arablady, thanx a lot and welcome
Nice Poem! I thought that you were only a good writer ... But now I discovered that you can write poems too. Thanks a lot.
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