Relationships are complex; and to my mind the relationship with one’s parents is the most sacred, and also more often than not, taken for  granted. Parents – we wouldn’t be there but for them. In this whole wide World they are the only people who will never grudge you anything, and will always listen, bend backwards and do absolutely anything for you. Stand by you always and every time. Yet, we tend to use them as our punching bag, to quell our own frustrations and anger at everything and anything. Rarely do we realise the fact that, they are our strongest allies and would mostly bear everything we throw at them no matter what. I myself had a very disconnected and distant relationship with my father. It was more bitter than sweet, and we could never really connect. We always had a barrier, which was more my fault than his. Maybe since he himself was an orphan having lost his parents when he was just a year old and having been brought up at the mercy of his relatives, never got to experience the relationship himself, instead experienced a lonely childhood. But in the hindsight, when I look back and reflect, he has always been a very loving father who just failed at expressing his love, and I blundered in understanding. I beseech all to unconditionally love your parents while they are around. We all come with an expiry date and the realisation will strike  only once we ultimately lose them. Alas, by then it will be too late to make any amends and we will ultimately have to live in regret for the rest of our lives. One year has passed since my father departed, and after he has gone, I realised that in my entire life I have never expressed to him that how much I loved him and to this day continue to love him. Not a single day, in these last 365 days have passed without this regret which I most definitely will carry to my grave. On his 1st anniversary of death, I just want to say to him that I love him, have always loved him and miss him very much…Rest in Peace, Achan. God Bless your Soul.