Before reading this article, we sincerely invite you to click the "Follow" button, which will not only allow you to easily receive the wonderful articles we have prepared for you in the future, but also allow you to exchange ideas and share insights with us at any time when you are swimming in the ocean of reading. Every click and comment is a great encouragement to our creative passion, and it is also the source of our continuous progress and innovation
The sun warmly shone into my modest cabin, and I sat on a familiar wooden chair and stared out the window at the emerald greenery. This cottage holds memories for most of my life and has witnessed my children grow up little by little. But now, they are all in charge of themselves, and I, an old man, seem to have become a burden to them.
I looked down at my hands, which were covered with the marks of time, trembling slightly. My hair was completely white and my skin was wrinkled. Little by little, my body is weakening, and this is a fact that cannot be changed.
"Time flies, and in the blink of an eye I am 75 years old. My children are married, have their own families and careers. But have I, the old bones, become a burden to them, and do I still have the value and meaning of existence?"
I was in the middle of my mind when the door was suddenly pushed open. My two sons and a daughter walked in.
"Dad, how are you doing?" The eldest son asked Zhang Li, his tone a little stiff.
"Old man, we brought you some oranges. The second son, Zhang Lin, said, and put a bag of oranges on the table.
My daughter Zhang Xue stood silently on the sidelines, seemingly absent-minded.
Looking at the three children, I had mixed feelings in my heart. My eyes seemed to show their innocent and cute appearance when they were young, but now that they have grown up, they seem to be drifting away from me. I felt their politeness, but I couldn't find the intimacy of the past.
"Dad, we've already discussed it. Zhang Zhang said, "At your age, it is difficult for us to be around us often. It's better to live with Zhang Lin for three months, then with Zhang Xue for three months, and then with me for three months. By taking turns this way, you can also change the environment from time to time. "
Zhang Lin and Zhang Xue both nodded in agreement. My heart sank suddenly.
I nodded silently, my eyes darkened, and the corners of my mouth drooped. The three children didn't seem to notice my mood change, and soon exchanged glances with each other and went their separate ways.
Zhang Lin went out to work early in the morning, while his daughter-in-law Zhang Li was busy taking care of her grandson and housework; I had to stay in my small room for fear of disturbing others by moving around. Sometimes, I want to do a little favor to my family mates, but I am always disgusted by Zhang Li for making mistakes or being too slow to be efficient.
"Old man, just have a good rest, don't make a mess. She always said that.
"It's really hard for you, and you have to take care of the old man. Zhang Lin said.
"No way, who made him our father? It's a bit of a problem, but we can't leave him alone. Zhang Li replied.
I'm old, and I'm no longer the same person I used to be. My health deteriorated, and I gradually lost the ability to make a living. However, my children already have their own lives and priorities, and it is inevitable that they will treat me as a "burden" by their side.
I began to reflect on my life. Yes, I personally pulled the children up little by little, but when they grow up, they will naturally have to fight for their families and careers. They have fulfilled their obligations as children to provide for and care for their elderly parents.
I began to look forward to when I was younger. At that time, I was strong and energetic, and full of infinite hope and anticipation for the future. I really want my children to live a happy and healthy life, so I try my best to work and earn money to create a good environment for them to grow up.
But now, everything has changed. The children have grown up and have their own families and careers, and I, an old man, can only be used as a "burden" to take turns between them. I was grateful for the care of my children, but I also felt extremely lost and lonely.
I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, I understand and appreciate the children's arrangement, after all, they also have their own priorities in life. But on the other hand, I felt so lost and helpless, as if I was destined to be marginalized by society and my family in my old age.
In the dead of night, I was always alone in bed, staring at the ceiling. I began to feel lonely like never before. I don't have any friends or relatives around me, and everyone has passed away one after another. My children have their own lives, and I can only move between them.
My heart was plunged into contradictions and struggles that I had never experienced before. I was so eager to be loved and valued, but I also knew that my presence would be a burden to my children. I began to hate my old body, that I couldn't take care of myself as before, that I was no longer a burden to others.
"Ah, how should you spend your old age in life?" I often lament, "We have worked all our lives, raised our children, but in the end we can only be displaced by them as a burden, is this what fate has arranged for us?"
I'm starting to feel nostalgic for the old days. At that time, I was in the prime of life and full of hope for the future. And now, I can only be regarded as a "burden", wandering around my children's homes, living in the accusations and eyes of others. I have mixed feelings.
Sometimes, when my children visit, I pretend to be happy and try to hide the pain in my heart. But as soon as they left, I fell back into a spiral of silence.
I started to talk less and rarely took the initiative to communicate with my children. I know they love me, but they have their own priorities in life. I don't want to be a burden to them, and I don't want to add more trouble to them.
However, enduring the pain in my heart in silence made me feel lonely and hopeless like never before. My heart seemed to be torn in half, half longing for the love of my children and half unwilling to trouble them. I began to hate this cruel world, and I hated what God had arranged for me.
In this way, I was displaced from home to my children, and the contradictions and pain in my heart continued to accumulate. Until one day, an accident finally pushed me to a desperate situation.
I lay on the ground and gradually felt a sharp pain in my leg, probably broken. However, I could no longer move a single bit, so I could only lie there and wait for my family to return. I was terrified like never before, and tears welled up in my eyes again. I realized that my life was in the hands of someone else, and there was nothing I could do about it.
Time passed minute by minute, but the family did not come back for a long time. I lay on the ground, the pain spreading all over my body, almost making me unconscious. My consciousness began to blur and my eyes went dark.
I began to fear death. I don't want to die like this, I haven't watched my grandchildren grow up yet. However, it would be too miserable to die here without anyone knowing. My heart was filled with fear, and I began to regret that I had chosen to rely on my children instead of making arrangements.
Just as I was starting to lose consciousness, tension suddenly returned. He found out about my condition, panicked and shouted for help, and quickly rushed me to the hospital.
I lay in a hospital bed for many days. The physical pain gradually improved, but the inner wound could not heal. I began to reflect on my life and whether I had really done something wrong.
I used to want my children to live a happy and healthy life, so I tried my best to work and earn money to create a good environment for them to grow up. But when they grew up and started a family, I, an old man, became their "burden" and were displaced between the three families.
I was conflicted and I began to doubt life. I used to be so eager to live and see my grandchildren grow up; But now, I am doubting the value of my existence, for fear that I will really become a burden to others. Tears flowed freely down my face, and my heart ached like never before.
Soon, all three of my children knew about it. They all came to visit me, their eyes full of guilt and remorse.
"Dad, it's all our fault, we didn't do our part. Zhang Zhang said bitterly.
"yes, we shouldn't have let you wander around our house like this. Zhang Lin also said.
Zhang Xue held my hand tightly and burst into tears.
During my days in the hospital, I thought about life and how I should spend my old age. I realized that it is not realistic to rely on children alone, because they have their own priorities in life. I don't want to be a burden and a burden to others, and I don't want to waste my last years like this.
So, I made up my mind that I was going to make arrangements for my old age. I don't want to cause any more trouble for my children, and I don't want my life to be controlled by someone else. I want to choose the way I want to live, rather than putting all the burden on my children.
When I told the three children about this decision, they were all silent. I can see that their hearts are in great pain, because they realize that they are really not doing their part. However, I also hope that they can understand me and understand my thoughts, instead of blindly blaming themselves.
After much deliberation, I ended up choosing a high-end nursing home located in the suburbs. It is beautifully located and well-equipped with professional medical staff to take care of them around the clock. I can live out my old age there without having to trouble my children.
When I told the kids about this decision, they all cried. They seemed to blame themselves for not doing their part, which led me to make this choice. However, I was relieved. I knew that this was the best option, and that I could live the life I wanted without being a burden to others.
On the day I moved into the nursing home, all three children came to see me off. I could see how painful and remorseful they were. However, I was relieved. I smiled and hugged them and said, "Kids, you've done your duty, now it's my turn to take charge of my life." Live happily and worry about me no more. "
And just like that, I embarked on the path of my chosen life. Although the road is tortuous, at least I am no longer a burden to others. I was free to live and enjoy the last journey of my life to the fullest.
The advantage of being dependent on your children is that you can be loved and cared for by your family and you won't feel alone. However, the disadvantages are also obvious, it is easy to put a heavy burden on the children, and they will lose their autonomy in life. Moreover, after all, children have their own focus in life, and it is inevitable that they will treat the elderly as a "burden" around them.
On the contrary, if you make arrangements for your later life in advance, such as staying in a nursing home, although you will lose the company of your family, you can live a free life and will not become a burden to others. This requires older people to make a difficult choice.
Therefore, whether it is our children or society, we should respect the choices of the elderly and let them freely decide their own lifestyle. We should care for them with love, not treat them like "burdens". Only in this way can they truly feel the value and meaning of life.