Everybody loves to hold a trophy in hand and raise it high to show the world their achievements. Why not, when you have worked hard, burned your sweat, blood, and brain for it, and no one admires your efforts? That is deeply disappointing. After all, most people work for appreciation or, as I would call it, a “certificate of appreciation.”
The kind of trophy I am talking about is different. I am talking about you, me, and everyone around us. We are all trophies for someone. For parents, especially in India, children become trophies to display before family and friends. Many parents have demanding expectations that their son or daughter must do something extraordinary so they can show the world their child’s achievements. Excessive expectations from parents are a root cause of the rat race in the world. Instead of wanting their child to be happy and capable of taking care of themselves and their loved ones, parents often want the “certificate of appreciation” from relatives, coworkers, and friends.
In this show-business culture we break our children, crush their dreams, and forget to ask, “What do you love to do most?”, “Are you happy?”, “What bothers you?”, or “If you have any trouble, you are free to talk to me; I will never judge you for your decisions or circumstances; I will love you no matter what.” Do we ever say these warm words to our children? I ask parents to support their children unconditionally. If a child’s activities hurt others or are…
