What is that, son?

Recently, I watched a short movie clip sent by a friend, it is like a wake up call to me. It teaches me to bring the kindness forward and be kind to our parents who have been so loving in nurturing us.

For all they have given to me, there’s nothing I can ever repay them. And now I’m in my adulthood, I have less patient towards my aging parent. Thankful for this video, it reminds me to be gentle and kind to them.

The film title is “what is that, son?” At the beginning of the show, it shows an old age father sitting beside his adult son in the garden bench. His son is busy reading the paper. Both of them sit in silent until a sparrow landed in the bush near the bench they seated. The father gently asked, “What is that, son?” His son took a look at the direction his father looking at. Feeling a bit annoyed, he answered, “A sparrow.” The little sparrow happily jumping at the bush and his father asked again, ““What is that, son?” His son didn’t even bother to look at the sparrow. Without hesitation, he raised his voiced, “Father, I’ve told you. It is a sparrow!”

The sparrow flew to the tree behind their bench. His father took a look at the little creature, curiously again he asked, “What is that, son?” Furious, his son put down the paper and staring at his father, he shouted back at his dad, “Damn it. It is a sparrow!” After finished shouting at his dad, he re-picked up the paper and read it. His father calmly sat at the bench and again gently he asked, “What is that, son?” This time, his son was totally mad at his annoying actions in repeatingly asking him the same question. He slammed the paper in his hand. Stood up, staring at his father, in an extremely angry tone, “How many times you want me to tell you?! It is a sparrow! A DAMN sparrow. Sparrow! S.P.A.R.R.O.W!”

His father eyes showed great disappointment. He stood up, before his son could speak any further, he give him a sign there’s no need to talk further. He walked towards his house. His son felt some discomfort at the situation. Feeling mad and guilty at the same time. His father came back to the garden where his son was with a diary in his hand. He passed the diary to his son and requested him to read out the page where he had opened for him out loud. His son was puzzled, yet he fulfilled his father request. And the diary wrote, “Today, my 4 years old son was a sparrow in the garden. He had asked me 21 times what it was. And I answered him, son it is a sparrow. And each time I answered him, I hugged him in my arms, because I love him.” His son was embarrassed at what he did to his father. His father had only asked him 4 times, and he already lost his cool, he was shouting and blaming his father for the stupid question. So he hugged his father tightly. And the father smiled.

How true, when our parents guiding us during our growing years. They endure many things, accepting us by embracing it with tones of love. And when they have grow old. We are into our adulthood. We cannot even accept a little of slow actions, a little of repeating questions and many more. Blaming and complaining about them. Shame of me being a child that been grow in the blessing of loves. I’m sorry and I love you, mum and dad.