The Circle of Life....

Topic of an argument with a colleague of mine: Which one fullfills your life, taking care of your parents on their twilight of lives or being a parent and bringing up a child.
The basis of this discussion started with two movie stars who are equally successfull where one is unmarried and is taking care of her parents and the other who adopted a girl child and bringing her up as a Single mom. I must add both have had their string of failed relationships and love lifes.
In my opinion, its the being a parent and bringing up a child and making that child a good person with all values and virtues that you and your parents have stood by, which is the most difficult, rewarding, emotionally fullfilling and yes finally, completes your responsibility in this Circle of Life...
You can take care of your parents by providing the best of the medical care, personal care, money, so on and so forth. A little time from you, they will also be happy till the sun sets on their time. Despite that I believe, you will ALWAYS be the one who _receives_ love from them in abundance. For you are their living footprint...
Waking up in the middle of the night for a nappy change, late night feeds. Running behind with a bowl of porridge or a change of clothes. Carrying them on your shoulder when they are sleepy or staying awake when they are sick. Telling them stories and reading books. Choosing the best dress with a price tag that might buy you your whole wardrobe. In short giving them the best than what you had as a child.
Watching that little bunch of joy first rollover, then crawl, then situp, then hold your hand and stand and then walk away....yes walk away from you. Only to become an adult often turning back to see you are still there. Holding that bicycle and promising you wont let go, but letting it go to see them cycle on their own....
Well you have just paid back your dues that you have been accumulating since you were born. If you are a mother, I feel, you have more than repaid what you owed....
I believe that untill a person becomes a parent he/she has not completed that Circle of Life and in net is overdue in their payments to the nature.....