Summary: Summarizing in Specified Number of Sentences

          We all want to grow into successful, confident and happy individuals – we want to have the best of everything. But we need to remember to have good values and a sense of gratitude for what our parents are able to provide for us.

          Five-star hotels, travelling by plane, air-conditioned cars, mobile phones and so many other luxuries are an integral part of life today for parents who can afford such comfort for their children. However, it is important to value such a privileged lifestyle, as well as respect those who lead more modest ones – we should not look down upon people who have less than we do, nor demean them in any way. As children, we must appreciate the dignity of labour.

          When it comes to daily routines, for instance, most of us are used to domestic help taking care of all our chores. We need to know that maidservants are not to be ordered around – they are to be spoken to politely and respected. Also, younger children must learn to pick up after themselves as much as possible, for example, they can carry their own plates into the kitchen after a meal. In the process, they will learn to respect those expected to perform these tasks for them.

          Children need to know that an honest living is a respectable living, whether it is made in a plush office or by the roadside. We need to be appreciative of hard work and of those who play a role in the societyThe term society is derived from the Latin word 'socius' meaning friendship or companionship. Society is a community, nation or group of people who share the same traditions, institutions, rules and... More.

          Somebody once told me that a child refused to speak the local language because it was the “servant’s” language! Obviously, the youngster must have heard an adult say something to that effect. We are so lucky to live in a country that has so many diverse cultures, languages and religions and at the same time adapts Western comforts to make life easier for us. We need to know that.

          As children, we tend to discuss our parents’ occupations and are sometimes ashamed of them because of what friends may say. This can happen at any age – toddlers or even teenagers. The son of a shopkeeper may wish his dad was a doctor like so and so’s. Moreover, the children of domestic helps are today growing up to obtain MBA degrees and secure high-flying jobs – it is becoming difficult for them to cope with their parents’ humble occupations. Such children need to realise that education isn’t the be-all and end-all of a respectable life, after all, it is through hard work that their parents were able to fund their academic activities.

(Rupal Patel: India)