“How sharper than the serpent’s tooth it is to have a thankless child…” (William Shakespeare)

Or is it? 

If ever I could be labelled as a groupie, it would have to be of the great bard himself, even though he has long since shuffled off his mortal coil. The wisdom in the man, the sheer brilliance in artistry, oh I could go on and on in expressing my awe.

So dare I question one so highly esteemed in the understanding of human nature?

That’s just it. Human nature. All our excuses for slipping on the victim hat get explained away by saying, “Well I’m just human you know!” Slipping is human, but if the same ‘banana skin’ is responsible for repeated slip ups and their subsequent pain, is it not time that we questioned the cause of our suffering.

Let’s look at the thankless child. The stab of a serpent’s tooth may well pale in comparison with the lack of appreciation of devoted parental commitment. But only as long as you, the parent, keep thinking that your child is thankless. As most of us cannot elevate ourselves to a sustained state of unconditional love (after all we are human!) where such thoughts would not arise in the first place, then what’s the alternative?

To be continued …