Life has more lessons than you think.

I was seven years old when my dad left us. I was the only child of my parents, so my mom  & I were the only ones left behind. We didn’t know what to do. I mean we were just so much dependent on him. He was the breadwinner, mom was the homemaker and I was just seven. Physically weak and always bullied in school. I was never good for anything.

My body was full of problems, I have asthma, sinus problems, single functioning kidney, diabetes, and multiple fractures throughout my childhood due to weak body and probably some issue with the genes and luck. Mom took me to many different doctors to have a look at me, pastors in churches, fed me with power packed foods, gymming and what not. But everything failed, in the end you just can’t fight with your own body. So now even after I am a fully grown man(in age), in my 30s, I still look like a kid studying hard to enter high school.

I wasn’t able to do much physically nor emotionally so I did what I was average in, studies. I dedicated myself to it for hours, days, weeks, months. It was my solace; it helped me stay away from chaos and also helped me to forget who I was and what I cannot be. Since I was dedicating so much of my time to books, I became good at it. I graduated from college when I was barely 20, had my PhD at 26.

I got many job offer letters but I refused them all. I wanted to do more than just a job. So as a student of science, I applied for research in various universities with professors and scientists. I got calls back from almost all of them; I was super excited and ready to just take off. I broke the news to my mom, I thought she would be happy but she was shocked. Though happy that I am progressing very well in my career but shocked and sad that I will have to be abroad for a long time. She was a bit worried that I would leave her like my father did. She was trying her hardest to not cry at the moment but tears were rolling down out of her control, I tried to console her but she ran away to hide them.

Later that night I was watching television when I heard some utensils falling on the kitchen floor? I saw my mom lying on the ground; she was having a heart attack. So I quickly called the ambulance and we took her to the hospital. She was admitted instantly and there were doctors all around her in the ICU. I was asked to take a seat as it will be taking a while before I got to speak to her. I didn’t know what to do, it was just so much for me to handle and I noticed my breathing getting faster. I was so worried about my mom that I had forgotten about my own asthma and my asthma pump.

The next thing I remembered was falling down on the ground and screaming voices from the distance. So I found myself in one of the hospital beds. The doctor was quite angry with me; after he left the nurse told me that I should have been more careful as my mother is the one I should dedicate my attention to. If she got to know about this attack then her condition may worsen. So I tried to get up but the nurse asked me to lie down before my tests arrived so they could determine my condition before allowing me to walk again. In all this commotion and after all the setbacks I realized how my mom had always been there for me. Without even a single complaint ever. She earned for us, managed home all on her own so that I can concentrate on studies and do what I want. I realized it was my time to take care of her. So I stayed back, refused offers and took a teaching position in the local college. She is well now; a bit sad that I didn’t go but happy more than ever that her son grew into something she was proud of.

Thanks for reading!

-Anonymous, 30