Are you familiar with the Ten Commandments?
Well, the fifth of the Ten Commandments goes like this: “Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you…”
How can you honor your parents when you are already living apart from them?
One way is by giving them a call.
If you have not done so, try it for these reasons:
1. For encouragement & support
Having a tough day? Their assurance will get you through. There’s nothing like a solid support system to help you through the most difficult periods of your life. You can definitely count on your parents for emotional support and hey, maybe financial support too!
Listen to what they have to say too. Because they also have their own concerns in this season of their lives, and need a sounding board too.
2. For stress relief
Your parents offer a different perspective and talking things out with them will help you realize that you might not need to stress out over things after all. Your parents are far, far wiser than you.
On their end, they will be also be relieved to know that you are still alive – so a call will be mutually beneficial for both of you.
3. For updates
Are you graduating with honors? Were you promoted? Getting married? Having a baby? Any news, especially positive ones, will definitely prop up their spirits, even from miles away. This will definitely ease their fears and assuage their worries. Because even though you may be physically apart, you are always, always in their minds and hearts.
4. To tell them you love them
You might have a boring life and not have any news at all but still call them to say that you are thinking of them and that you love them. These words are like a soothing balm to their hearts which are filled with so much longing for their offspring. Too cheesy? Then maybe you can start by thanking them? There may have been frictions in your relationship with your parents but this does not dissolve the fact that ultimately, they are the reason why you’ve made it this far so it is only fitting that you honor them and express your gratitude to them. Appreciate them while you can.
When to Call?
If you really want to do something, you will always find time to do it. On your commute to school or work, between classes, on your breaks, before you sleep. There are 24 hours in a day, 167 in a week – surely you can carve a few minutes for your parents? Set a schedule then commit to it. And for sure, it will be something that both you and your parents will look forward too. And remember the universal rule – quality over quantity, that is, quality of conversation over quantity of calls. You may be calling them all the time but hurriedly. Better to take the time to really talk to them in order to further deepen your relationship with them.
Sadly, there will come a time when you will no longer have the opportunity to talk to your parents, so do it while you can.
Back to the fifth commandment, its complete version is this - “Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, so that your days may be long and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” (Deuteronomy 5:16) Among all the commandments, this is the only one that comes with a promise – a blessed long life!
So what are you waiting for? Call them now. It’s an act of love that speaks volumes.