Dear Soldier, You Go Through Much More Than We Can Ever See

Shama Parveen from Mumbai sends her sandesh to a soldier.

(Photo Courtesy: Kamran Akhter/The Quint)

Dear Soldier,

Very often, I see people praising and clapping for the defence forces. What people don't know is that a soldier goes through much more than we could ever see. My father was always away during my childhood. Seeing him once or twice in a year was like a dream come true.

I always saw my mother struggling on her own, managing every tiny thing she had never done. On the other side, dad was taking care of the country. Mom kept becoming stronger as the journey progressed.
I could always see the emptiness in her eyes, when she found no one by her side. The love and pampering she always deserved, but what she gave up for my dad.

My dad, on the other hand, chose the country over his wife.

Today, he is retired, my mom and dad together, children settled, but with a past they could never get back. My salute to every soldier in armed forces giving everything they could for our country.

Shama Parveen