GOD, Protect and keep our young ones healthy and happy.

As little birds wings get stronger,

Nature makes them fly out of their nests.

As our children’s knowledge and experience gets richer,

The world beckons them out of our homes,

Hurting our lives, thoughts and hearts.

All we can do is bless and convey our best wishes,

And hope that they will please us with frequent visits.

What is true with the birds since creation,

Has now become with us: very common.

GOD, protect and keep our young ones healthy and happy,

And someday see that they return to us, to their homes and nests!

-N. Lalitha Raghu.

The above verse is my wife’s ‘Status Update’ on ‘facebook’ last night, posted soon after my eldest son, Ch. Srikanth left for Bangalore, to take up a new job there. As I wrote in this column earlier, my younger son, Ch. Srinath is already away from us in UK, since four years.

Under such circumstances, when children have to leave home for better prospects, I think the reaction of most parents would be similar to ours.

-N. Raghu.