Thankless Children

Contempt, Not Respect

Our religion demands that we honor our parents regardless of their age.  They have raised their children through “thick and thin,” loved them, protected them, kept them away from dangerous circumstances and hateful, prejudiced people, and made them proud of their religion, their “Jewishness” and all of their healthy beliefs, traditions, and actions.  We tell the younger generation to respect the old, to be proud of them, and to show them the love and attention that they rightfully deserve.  These religious Jewish parents have done  without to help their children with every possible opportunity, often sacrificing to give to their young ones to help them to succeed.

When the children have achieved their wishes, have become the “bosses,” the doctors, lawyers, or successful businessmen, they often forget their hardworking, loving parents who have done without. They are forgotten and are often ridiculed by those whom they have protected, loved, and helped to become the “successful” people that they are.  Their children may make fun of them and correct them at every turn, while forgetting all that their parents have given and done for them.

Such children do not care how intelligent and learned their parents are and how much they have accomplished in their lives and how much they have happily done to enable their children to be successful.  Remember that you too will be old, and hopefully respected and loved by the younger generation, especially by your children!

 Lehitraot.

 Dr. Ursula A. Falk is a psychotherapist in private practice and the author of several books and articles, including The American Drug Culture (with Dr. Thomas S. Weinberg & Dr. Gerhard Falk, 2018).

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