An Actor with A Million Roles

I Made Andi Arsana

Inspirations always come whenever, for once again, I remember old encouraging stories. One of the inspiring stories is the story about a mother who talk about her own children and children in law. Without any purpose to do plagiarism, please let me retell the story without reference and footnotes, just because I, myself, do not really know the original author(s). It was just blown by the wind, drop by for a while and then go away with the wind of change.

A mother was asked by her friend in a social gathering, “how’s your son? I heard he is a successful entrepreneur!” The mother replied, “Economically, he is a successful man. His sense of entrepreneurship is really vivid. Thank God, he is a rich man now! Alas, he is not a fortunate husband. How pity he is since his wife is a lazy woman with a glamorous lifestyle. Until now, she is jobless. She might be able to work but she just never wants to. My son has been exploited excessively for he has to work tirelessly day and night. Meanwhile his wife can easily ask anything se desires. She always has something to buy and places to go for vacations. Less than a week ago, my son had to spend a lot of money for her travel to Europe. Simply, my son in so unlucky!.”

“How about you daughter?” a second question came following the first one. “Oh, my daughter? Unlike her brother, she is really lucky! I am so happy to know she can live her life that way. It is not just because their economic life is marvellous, but also because her husband is a kind and lovely man. My daughter doesn’t work as her husband never expects her to do so. Her husband even lets her do anything she wants for her happiness. Whatever she asks, always realized. Whatever she wants to buy, he will buy for her. He is the greatest son in law, ever. You know what! A week ago, my daughter went to the Netherlands for vacation. Simply, she is very lucky since she has a very understanding husband.”

The short story above inspires me deeply. The mother is a single person with two roles at the same time. She is a mother and, at the same time, she is also a mother in law. For those two different roles, she has two completely different point of views for one single thing that indeed the same.

Suddenly, I reflectively look inside and think. At the same time, we often have to play more than one roles in life. An actor wit a million roles, I would say. As an adult, some of us, for sure, are children and also parents at the same time. Concurrently, we might be parents in law and also children in law. In addition, we may be a lecturer and a student at the same time, a writer and also a reader, etc. These double-roles requires us to DEMAND something and also SUPPLY the same thing at the same time. Only expecting our children respect us is definitely unfair if we don’t respect our parents. Only demanding love from our children in law is reasonably unwise if we cannot give the same love to our parents in law.

Specifically, it might be the part of karma phala. Good results cannot be expected nor even prayed for without any serious good efforts.

God, please always remind me to keep asking. “Have I been a good actor today?”