I have seen and heard of many, in fact, unbelievably more than what I expect, "old folks"" homes in almost all countries in the world. Though I have not yet gone on a world tour to observe and confirm what I have been hearing from friends about the poignant and heartbreaking sight of the "old folks" who have been neglected by their children, I have been kept well informed by the mass media. Millions of older people are homeless, even in so-called advanced countries. It's like an epidemic of no-time-for-looking-after-parents-session has almost plagued the whole world. Talking about one good traditional Asian value that we are all very proud of, that is filial piety, which emphasizes on looking after one's parents with love in their old age, isn't it in contradiction to the reality which depicts a growing trend towards broken family ties between parents and children?.
Generally speaking humans are believed to be grateful beings and have a tendency to return help once given. However, apparently, there are still abundant cases where children do not look after their aged parents. It is indeed pathetic to see the once proud souls loitering around the street, (such a case is abundant in Indonesia.), living in charity homes with only the happy and sad memories that have shaped up their lives and just waiting for death to claim them.
Isn't it the duty of parents to look after their parents? Parents are the ones who have made tremendous sacrifices to look after their children from the day the children were born until the day they are old enough to "stand on their own two feet". It is the parents who nurture the children with great love care and concern. It is the parents who had many sleepless nights, keeping on guard on their children when they were only a few months old, listening and bearing with their cries deep into the nights and changing their diapers. It is the parents who give discipline, moral guidance and, later, advice to their children so than they can grow up as a better person and be accepted in the society they live in.
