Will you not give me the gift of your presence?

They never understood that their presence made the palatial house a home; their presence made my life worth living; their presence gave me courage to go on.

I am Satish, I am 16 years old, and this is the story of how I died.

I lived in the beautiful city of Bangalore, surrounded by many comforts. I was born with a silver spoon, so to say. My parents earned well and never refused me anything money could buy.

But I could never achieve the marks they wanted, nor was I outstanding in sports or music. All I wanted was to dabble with colours—and that never fit into their scheme of things. The friends I chose to hang out with often drew their disapproving glances.

They were well-educated professionals with a reputation to preserve, and I was an insult to their ego. I was never good enough for them, and they were never good enough for me. To them, I was disobedient, ungrateful, and indifferent.

They never understood that their presence made the palatial house a home; their presence made my life worth living; their presence gave me courage to go on.

They say they love me, and that’s why they put me down, spent more time working, and pushed me toward a career of their choice.
But I say: love is time.

If you love me, spend time with me. Accept me for who I am. Don’t clip my wings and force me into your mould. Help me grow wings to fly into the horizon of hope.

I tried it all—dope does not give hope, friends are not faithful, and depression has become my constant companion. It drags me into a black hole.
I need wings. I need hope. I need someone to hold me as I cry. I need someone to believe in me…

I no longer have the strength to hold on to life. It has nothing to offer me.

I GIVE UP.

The parents of Satish now weep, holding his lifeless body. What he longed for in life, he received in death. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

What our loved ones need from us is:

• More presence, not presents

• More patience, not pressure

• More peace, not pain

• More prayer, not power

Our children are God’s gift to us, and we are accountable for how we steward what has been entrusted to our care. We are not expected to make our children success stories in the world of business or education.

Our highest calling is to be channels of unconditional love and hope—so our children will see in our eyes that they are valuable, unique, and have a God-ordained purpose. That we will hold their hands and lead them, through our own example, to discover themselves and live a truly fulfilling life.