Do You Remember When?

"those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it again" - George Santayana, 1863

The day when you will find that I became very old,

                try to have some patience to me and try to understand me.

If I get dirty by eating…
If I have some difficulty dressing…

be patient... Remember the hours that I spent to learn you
any sorts of things when you were small.

If I repeat the same thing dozens of time,

does not interrupt me…  Listen to me…

If I do not wash myself any more so often under the shower,

do not reprimand and do not tell me that it is a shame.

Remember how many excuses I had to invent to make

you take a bath you were small.

By seeing my ignorance towards the new technologies,

do not laugh of me but leave me rather the time to understand

I taught you so many things indeed to eat well …to dress well… to behave well… how to confront the problems of the life …

If I sometimes miss memory or am not able to follow a conversation, 

leave me the necessary time to recollect  and if I do not reach there,

do not become a nervous and arrogant person

because the most important for me,…

it is to be with you and to be able to speak to you.

If I refuse to eat, do not force myself…

I know very well when I am hungry and when I am not hungry. .

When my poor legs will not allow me any more to move as before …

Help me in the same way as I held your hands
to learn you make your first steps.

And when one day, I shall say to you that I do not want to live any more …
that I want to die,  do not get angry … 

because one day, you will also understand

Try to understand that at certain age, we do not really live any more. We simply survive!

One day, you will understand that in spite of all my errors, I always wanted what was best for you and that I prepared you the ground for when you’ve grown up.

You do not have to feel sad, unfortunate or incompetent in front of my old age and of my state.
You have to stay near me, try to understand what I live, to make your best as I did at  your birth.

Help me to walk, help me to end my life with love and patience.

The only way that I need to thank you for it, it is a smile and a lot of love from you.

“When I am gone, do worship me but do not serve me. To serve are to your parents who brought you up in this world. For them is the living Buddha on earth.” – Buddha.