"Billy didn't really like life at all."

What would it be like to be a parent? Being aware that someone else’s life lies completely in your hands? Having the duty to educate them to the best of your abilities, while knowing that any faults or mistakes you commit may influence who this person becomes in the long-run? Those of us that do not have children may not even start to imagine the responsibility that comes along with this, and all the sacrifices parents have to make for the sake of their children.

When I was in eight grade, I had a teacher that took it upon himself to not only teach his subject, but to give us valuable life lessons as well. He did this by talking to us, allowing us to be completely sincere with him, showing us videos and powerpoints that he believed would leave a mark on each of us. It was in one of these powerpoints that I learned one of life’s sad truths, a reality that we all take a part of, even if we don’t know it. The presentation started with soft background music and a picture of a small boy playing in a park, with his dad seated on a bench nearby. There was a crow nearby, and he soon caught the young boy’s attention. “What animal is that?” asked the boy, who couldn’t be over 3 years old. “That’s a crow,” answered his dad softly, with a loving and caring tone. A couple of minutes went by and the first bird was soon joined by others of its kind. “How about that one?” asked the boy, pointing at another bird. “That’s a crow too,” said the father in the same loving tone. The child went back to playing when he encountered yet another animal, exactly like the one he had seen just a few moments ago. “That one?” inquired the boy. “Crow.” responded the father, and his tone hadn’t changed one bit.

Years went by, and the father became an old man. He couldn’t see very well or hear very well, and he was losing his memory with each passing day. One day, his son, now a grown man, decided to take him to the park they used to visit when he was young. As they strolled around the park, the old man saw a small, black shape moving in the distance and asked, “What is that?”. “It’s a crow.” answered his son. They walked a little further and the old man saw another black shape moving through the bushes. He asked, “How about that one?”. “That’s a crow too,” answered his son, sounding irritated. Minutes later, the old man asked yet again what the shape was, and his son exploded in anger. “Why is it so hard for you to understand that that’s a crow?! I have already told you three times and you keep on asking the same question! What’s the matter with you?” he screamed. The old man didn’t respond, he just stood there in silence. After a few moments, he calmly answered, “When you were small you would ask me this same question over and over again, and every single time I would answer it caringly, with a smile on my lips, because I understood that you were innocent and unaware, and I loved you for that. Today, I asked you that question, yet you failed to understand me and reacted with rage. I don’t blame you, I blame myself because I probably should have hugged and kissed you every time you asked me the same question twice.”

Many times we fail to acknowledge everything our parents do for us, and take them, their lessons, and their attitudes for granted. There is a moment in the book when Billy Pilgrim is in the hospital and his mom comes to visit him. In a childish act of aversion, he decides to hide under the blanket and ignore her. “She upset Billy simply by being his mother.” (pg. 102). This is the sad truth that many mothers and fathers have to face on a daily basis, especially with kids our age. Regardless of how annoying, pushy or irritating we may consider our parents, we should always remember that we owe everything we have and everything we are to them, for they are the reason we are here in the first place.