Family Values.

“In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.”
~ Albert Schweitzer

I travelled 300 Kms to and fro on Saturday to visit some cousins.

Two and their respective families from my maternal side and one from my paternal side. The latter was to meet him because I was going to meet the former any way.

This post is about three cousins from the maternal side and their wives.

There is a brother who is the eldest of the three, who has alienated himself from the family and has had nothing to do with the mother except to very gladly accept his share of the proceeds of the sale of a property that the three sons inherited.

My cousins’ mother, my aunt,  has been bed ridden with Cerebellar Ataxia. One, the younger of the two and his wife, apart from bringing up two young children have been looking after her for the past twenty years.

The elder, a doctor and his wife, also a doctor, are settled in the USA and have an autistic son, but have been regularly visiting India to be of whatever support they can to the younger family.

After many years of trying, the doctor brother has been able to get a permanent resident visa to take his mother with him to the USA which under the circumstances is remarkable. Had he simply not done anything, the mother would have stayed on in India and would have been looked after by the younger brother and his remarkable wife.

It is a measure of his character and that of his wife’s that they both have done everything possible to take the invalid mother with them to the USA where she is most likely to die. All the more remarkable considering their involvement in bringing up a grown up autistic son at home.

I am overwhelmed  by these people.  They are living examples of family values.  I am grateful to have them in my life.