by Thomas Carroll

Created on: April 24, 2010   Last Updated: April 26, 2010

Although many people take it for granted, having parents that are there for you is very important. Life is not about putting up with your parents until you are 18, and then packing your bags and leaving them forever; you must return to the best of your ability what they gave to you.

Love.

Now, as cheesy as it may sound to some, your parents love you unconditionally, and unless you have a flawless record of being respectful to your parents, many of the things you have said to them they will remember forever, whether they were good things or bad things.

Recently, a daughter in Korea walked into her apartment to find the ashes of her father, and a note. The father had committed suicide by lighting himself on fire using gasoline. The note read "I'm sorry you were not fortunate enough to have a wealthy father."

Now, caring for your parents is one thing, and loving them is another thing. You share a special bond with your parents and no matter how hard you try, you cannot break that bond. A parental figure is an important part in life, and whether you like your parents or not, for the sake of that special bond, you must nurture the relationship between you and your parents.

Think about everything good that they have done to you, and then think about everything good you've done to them. If the first list severely outweighs the next list, something is wrong, and you should think about it. By the end of the day, you should be able to know that the scale of care is balanced between you are your parent. Nobody lives forever, and should your parents have to go to sleep every night knowing that you haven't returned the favors they have bestowed upon you?

Some people have time, but others don't. Would you really wait until your parents are about to die to begin caring? What if you keep procrastinating and putting it off until later, and you wake up the next morning to find out your parents aren't there for you anymore? How would you care for them then? You can't! It would be too late! The scale is now set in stone, but not how you wanted it to be. The scale is unbalanced, but this time it remains unbalanced. Unfortunately, at this point there is absolutely nothing you can do to change it.

The point I want to get to is that favors must be returned, and this rule doesn't only apply to parents. Care for those who care for you, treat others the way you want to be treated, and if you care for your parents, you will not only feel accomplished, but you will know deep down inside that you did the right thing. After all, it only makes sense: What goes around, comes around.

Are you ready to tip the scale?

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