அம்மா

After having reached at the peak of his career a man felt an urge to
repay back to his mother for all that she had done for him. So he asked
her,"Mother, what can I give you? What can I do for you? I sincerely
want to repay you for all the sacrifices you have made for me and for
all the love you have showered upon me." She looked surprised and said,
"Why do you think about it. It was my duty so I did it, you don't have
to repay me. Even if you want to, there is no
way a man can ever repay his mother."

Despite her continuous refusal to ask for anything, he continued to
persist.To put an end to the discussion, she said, "All right. If you
must,then tonight you sleep on my bed, with me, just as you used to
when you were a baby." He said, "That's a strange thing to ask for,
but if it pleases you, I will."

As soon as he fell asleep, the mother got up and brought a bucket of
water.She poured a mug full of water on his side. Feeling disturbed by
the wetness under him, in his sleep he moved away to the other side of
the bed. As he settled down, his mother poured another mug of water on
the other side.In his slumber he tried to find space towards the foot
post of the bed.Sometime later he woke up feeling that this part of the
bed too was damp. He got up and saw his mother, with the mug in her
hand. He asked angrily,"What are you doing mother? Why don't you let me
sleep? How do you expect me to sleep on a wet bed?"

She said, "I slept with you, when you wetted the bed in the night. i
changed your nappy (diaper made of cotton cloth, used in India) and
moved you to the dry part of the bed, while I slept on the wet side.
You wanted to repay me... Can you sleep here even for one night with
me on a damp bed? If you can, I'll take it that you have repaid me."

How true it is that of all the debts in the world, the one that can
never be repaid is the one you owe to your mother. You can never repay
the love, care and time your mother gave to bring you up. You are a
part of her flesh and blood; don't forget this, because she never ever
forgets it.