To Listen

It is Sunday with a gloomy sky. She decided to go to a coffee shop. This whole week has been a busy and tiring week yet enjoyable for her.

She orders one frappucinno and sit near to the window. A very good spot for her to see her surroundings. She decided not to take out her phone or read a book; she just wants to observe her surroundings while waiting for her drink.

People are busy with their stuff. Some are reading books while eating cake; some are playing their iPad or iPhone; some are writing and chatting at the same time. This is a pretty normal situation in a coffee shop.

As she looks around her gaze stop at the road, it is full of cars and all of it looks tiny. She stops gazing out to the road when the waitress serves her drink. She says thank you and continue observing her surrounding while sipping her drink.

Now, her gaze stops at a family. It’s a lady with two daughters. Her daughters probably are 10 years old. The lady is talking to them so intently and her daughters listen to her as well. The three of them are talking happily.

Not far from that lady table, there is a table with another family. It’s a grandma with two grandsons. Her grandsons are probably 17 years old. The grandma is talking to them so intently with a very caring way, but her grandsons seem to ignore her and more focus with their phones.

As she observes, the grandma gaze coincidently meets her, the gaze looks sad. That old lady is still putting an effort to make a conversation with her grandsons, but sadly there is no response.

She observes more and understands what that grandma wants. The grandma wants a conversation like the lady and her daughters on the next table.

It seems like we often forget that, our parents and grandparents are getting old as we grow up.

Sometimes, all they want is someone who listens to their story to make them happy. Sometimes accompanying them is not to ignore them, but it’s to have a conversation with them and listen.

Quote:

“I have lost my parents and I miss them a lot. To be honest, I used to hate and ignore them when they kept on repeating the same story over and over again. But now if I could turn back time, I won’t ignore them and I will listen to their story over and over again.” - Mario Teguh