But I Was Listening

 “But I was listening,” we keep saying this numerous times to ourselves, to our children, and to our parents. In reality we don’t. We just keep waiting for the other person to stop speaking so that we can get over it quickly, and do what we were doing. 

No one listens to anyone anymore. We are either too preoccupied in our own world, or we don’t care what others have to say. Everyone has an opinion, and is ready to offer it at a moment's notice, but very few will actually listen and absorb it.

In the end we are just left with regrets of not listening to someone that mattered to us. We think about our children all the time, “they are listening,” but do they really?

I always caught myself not listening to what my parents had to say. 

Yes, Papa, I am listening!

Maa, I listen to you all the time!

I regret it now. But that boat has sailed now.

However my children are there, and I still have time to change my attitude. In the back of my head myriads of thoughts go in my head about not listening to my children.

I am sorry I appeared absent when you got up and you had so many things to say to me. I promise I was listening but my mind was somewhere else.

I am sorry I couldn't give you the snack you asked for even though I was listening.

I promise I was listening, but my mind was on today’s  work project and grocery items.

I am so sorry I appeared absent when you explained to me about your science project.

I promise I was listening, but my mind was on booking summer camps and kitchen remodeling.

I am sorry I looked absent when you shouted out “I love you”.”

I promise I was listening but my mind was on multiple other things I had in my to-do-list.

Then they closed their eyes to sleep, and as I got up to close the curtain in their room, I saw and felt the peaceful silence of their voice. It made me really miss them. At that moment, I really heard them and I realized I had made a bad choice. 

Although I might be listening, it struck me hard — I was not really there.”

I know I should now, and I should have given you more time. For you are only for a limited time.

All these thoughts of things, and to-do-list can wait, you need me right now and I will be there. I promise, this is my vow.