How Do I Honor My Parents (Part 1)

Honoring our parents can be done in many ways:

1. Remember their special occasions.   

What are these? Your father’s birthday, your mother’s birthday, and their wedding anniversary are the major dates to remember. Greet them, spend time with them, dine with them, give them gifts.

2. Remember them during special holidays. 

Giving them a card at Christmas and New Year, and chocolates or roses on Valentines would send the clear message that they are being honored.

3. Give them a treat.   

If we have some means of income or have some savings, we may get a few chunks from this. Take our parents to a great getaway place, a vacation to remember.  You can buy them discounted air tickets, especially if they have never experienced flying.  Or simply bring them to a classy restaurant they’ve probably long been fantasizing of dining in.

4. Listen to them. 

When we get older, (sometimes even when we were still younger), we have a hard time listening intently to our parents. We equate them to annoying preachers. They sermonize.   Or if they don’t sermonize, they probably tell stories we are not interested about. 

Well, we don’t have to listen to them everyday.  But decide to set a time, or a day of the week, when you promise yourself you will give a sincere listening ear, even for at least 30 minutes to your parent’s “speech”. It will make them feel that their views are appreciated.

5. Serve them.   

For those who know how to cook, wouldn’t it be great to cook a special dish for your parents on one simple or special day?  If you have some special touch at massaging, you may want to massage the arms and shoulders of your parents.  A time will come that they would be too old and too weak and probably sickly that there is no other option but to serve them. But why wait until they are nearing their “divine appointment”.  It’s good to serve them while they are still strong and younger. They can bring along the memory for a much longer journey.

You can do any or all of these even for a single parent.  And even with non-biological parents, like foster parents or guardians, the same tips are applicable. 

More on next blog.

Kuya Tony