An old man, staying in a small south Indian town came to visit his son in Bombay.
The son in his early thirties was a successful businessman living with his wife and son.
The father, having spent most of his life at his birthplace, hardly understood a splatter of Hindi or English, forget Marathi.
But he didn't care. 'I have come here to spend a few days with my son and his family.
I don't have to go out and socialize with the city people,' he thought.
But the son was very excited about his father's rare visit to Bombay. He wanted to make the best of it.
He and his wife went to show him around the city.
And yes, the son enjoyed those evening hours too, when he and his father went out and sat in a good bar, sipping their favourite drink.
Last week he was in a very good mood. 'Let's go to a five star hotel's bar tonight,' he told his father.
It was a beautiful evening. Talking about everything under the sun they had a few drinks.
As usual they were offered some salad, peanuts, wafers etc. as accompaniments with their drinks.
The old man being almost toothless was not much interested in eating.
But that day when they got up to leave, he simply took a handful of chana (roasted grams) and stuffed it in the fold of his dhoti.
He might have thought about munching on them, sitting in the car, or whatever.
Unfortunately while walking in the lobby, he missed a step and stumbled. Down he went, scattering the chana on the plush carpet.
No problem.
Now try to visualize that scenario. Someone else in his son's place would have been mortified, embarrassed to death.
He might have cursed not his father but his own self for causing this awkward situation.
'Never again will I take my old man to such hotels', he would have vowed.
No sir, not this son. Gently, with a smile, he helped his father get back on his feet.
Instead of feeling irritated or angry, he was amused. He found the whole incident very funny.
Laughing, they both went home and on the way they decided to return to the same place the following Sunday.
The old man liked the place. Liked the chana too.
A few days back, at a friend's place they both described this event and made everybody laugh.
Weren't you embarrassed? Somebody asked the son.
'Oh, come on now' replied the son. 'He is my father.
He talks in his native language, prefers to wear a dhoti even to a posh city hotel,
takes chana from the bar to eat later, does whatever he feels like....
So what? Why should I feel embarrassed with his nature and habits?
Nobody has a right to stop him from doing whatever he feels comfortable with, as long as it is not harmful to others.'
The son doesn't care what the staff in the hotel thought about that incident.
He says 'they should be concerned only with their bills and tips.
He said "I am concerned about my father's happiness.'
The wife too totally agreed with the husband on this issue. She felt there are enough other qualities in her father- in- law to feel proud of.
So bring out from the closet your loved ones (less read parents / wife; mentally challenged child) and introduce them proudly to the world.
Accept them as they are..
Keep smiling...always by bringing smile to others.
