The Empty nest Syndrome

  The Empty nest Syndrome

It was a typical evening. Darkness was gradually replacing the waning sun.Salma had returned from her job and was enjoying her tea on the balcony while lounging on her couch. She noticed a flock of ibis flying North as she looked up at the sky. Her mind was overflowing with questions."After a long day of labor, are they heading home to their nest? Or are they travelling across to some unknown destination? It may even be the place where her two sons were settled now. "Study well, you can go abroad  and have a great life there.” This was planted into the young minds of  Sahil and Saleem. While  Salma was happy and proud of their accomplishments, yet now she regretted having  told it to her sons.

Like a movie, memories were constantly shifting in front of her, which took her back in time when Sahil and Saleem were little. Salma had to juggle her own office work, the demands of her children, and household tasks while her husband  was away for work. Back then, the house was a huge mess , with toys and books scattered everywhere.Saleem , a todler, was still investigating items in the house. He would try his artistic abilities on the rental home’s wall.Salma recalled that she struggled to conceal it from the houseowner’s prying gaze.Sahil  in grade 2 would scatter his things all around the place. Salma  arranged the items at night after the kids went to sleep, only to have them removed the next day. A vivid picture suddenly flashed into Salma’s mind "Why  don’t you keep your belongings in their place, Sahil?". Both Salma and Sahil  were desperately looking for Sahil’s one shoe, minutes before the school bus reached. Finally, Sahil  had to go to school in chappals. The shoe was discovered by nightfall in the toy piles.Salma remembered the extent of grief and anger she had then.  However, years later, the same memory made her smile. Salma recalled how she used to exclaim, both  quietly and loudly,Oh God! When will I have a tidy, well-organized home?".

 After several years, she now has a home  where everything is in its proper place, where items are merely touched only to be dusted . But  now she realizes with sadness that the house’s  soul has also vanished. Now it  is a house and not a home. The little ones had developed wings and had flown away from her  nest to  far lands. Salma finished her tea and entered  the house. She asked herself, "Which would you prefer, Salma—a well-kept  perfect  home where you can reach for things even when blindfolded , with no kids to run around and make noise, or  an imperfect, messy house  filled with the noise and laughter of little ones?”