Home » Living in US » Why should you call home every other day or every day ? Family Relationship ?

Why should you call home every other day or every day ? Family Relationship ?

I still remember those very first days when I first came to US, when calling India was around 14 cents per minute and I was a little hesitant to call home every week. Today, we can call India from US anywhere from 1.5 cent to 2 cents, unbelievable the amount of change in calling rates…Now-a-days, I call home every day or at least alternate days. Some of us constantly call and some do not call even once in 15 days, this article is my perception of things and why I think calling home alternate day is very important.

Why is it important? Family relationships ?

Imagine, How many times do we go home after we come to US as a student or a professional  on H1B visa ?  Once every 2 years or may be Once a year at the most. Think about how many times you used to go home when you were studying in India. Some of us stayed at home all through our education until we came to US.  Imagine the attachment we have built over years with our parents and family ?  Think about how hard your parents struggled to help you come to US, those long days of application process, Visa support, Bank loans, packing…Imagine how much affection they have toward us and doing all this for our good… Don’t you think you should be thankful to your parents and call them every day ?   Stephen Covey says, relationships are like “Emotional Bank accounts”, Imagine you have to balance it, the only way to add affection to your emotional bank account is by interaction.  The least possible we can do is call home. We do not need to talk for an hour or 30 min. Call them and say, 5 minutes a day. How much does it cost you ? 10 cents ?  for one month, that is 300 cents or $3. Can’t you spend 3 dollars and 150 minutes of your time for your parents ?  There are quite a few who do keep in touch with parents and keep the relationship alive. But there are some who do not do this.  When I talk to my parents, they say, do not call every day, it is expensive and you are wasting money. I just say one thing, “If I cannot spend 5 or 10 min a day and 10 cents to talk to my family, what the hell is the point of me studying to become a better person and making money in US ?”

Anyways, I know as a student you may think it is expensive. But it is not,  Just think, your out- of-state tuition is around $1,200 per credit. Your expense for home is $3 a month. Where is the comparison ? I do not need to compare salary of working professionals.  I am just writing because some of my friends do not call home and my parents tell me how other parents are not happy with their sons and daughters who do not call them.  Overall, just like you water a plant every day, you have to keep your relationship with your parents alive by calling them… Check the post :  cheap calling cards to call India if you do not know cheap and best services to call home.

What do you think?

Image Credits : http://www.flickr.com/photos/mynameisharsha/3092522030/

   

Other Articles

10 Comments

  1. Kumar,
    Though i m freequent caller to my mom, still you were almost made my eyes wet.
    Nice suggestion for those who forget their living god.

    Also I wn’t forget to appreciate your efforts and your efforts are not wasting, feedback will come in the form of blessings..

    Reply
  2. Hi Kumar,

    Thank you for taking some time for all of us. We all owe a big thanks to you. I was under stress because I didn’t know what I wanted to know with the visa formalities. Then through Google, I got your site. What an amazing content !!

    I really appreciate for all the hard work you have put in. A lot of informative articles are available here and got me impressed in the first instance. I do however have raised a question in the L1B to H1 visa section and I am confident I will get appropriate clarifications.

    We all heard of our own people saying most of the time, “I dont have time to do it”. Well, you know, you are an exception. Your idea is awesome like the saying goes “a small seed can grow to a big chunky tree”. I feel good because, the pieces of information are very helpful, precise and comes from lot of people who experienced those specific situations. All that was possible, because of you.

    Good luck to you and do please continue to lend us a helping hand.

    Have a good one,
    Sri Ramakrishnan Velamakanni (Ram)

    Reply
  3. most basic thing many of us forget over a period of time…, all we have today is becuase of their love and sacrifices…. in one way or the other…. and they want nothing from you… just want to see you happy… i miss all of my family memebers a lot….
    Thankyou for the great post…

    Reply
  4. Hi Kumar,

    Thanks for the great work you are doing through this website. This article does make one nostalgic and emphasizes the importance of reminding our parents how much we love them.
    We could at least give back in words what our parents and relatives have given to us in blood and sweat.

    Cheers!

    Reply
  5. Kumar,
    I just came across this website looking for some info regarding H4 visa and in-state tuition fee and honestly you got me glued to your website. Then I came to this one. I like this post very much. I totally agree with you. Seems like people are getting richer externally but becoming poorer internally. I just saw myself in your shoes in this situation. I do call my parents as much as I can.

    All your posts are very informative, precise, correct (whatever I read so far). Your way of writing keeps the reader interested throughout the article.

    Keep Going. All the very best to you and your family.

    Thanks,
    Santosh

    Reply

Leave a Comment