Theory
Creating a responsibility index makes one responsible and accountable, thereby
enabling us to be responsive and needful not only for our-self, but also to our
family members, friends and relatives and to the society at large. Responsibility
comes after identifying our role in the family, at the workplace and in the society.
As a member of family we may have to take different roles, as husband or wife,
father or mother, as son or daughter, or even more roles with our extended
family. The very fact that we have definitive roles to play keeps us alert. List out
the responsibilities we need to impart based on the roles that we need to take up
so that we are able to add value and influence the life of various members of the
family, relatives and friends. The roles and responsibilities need no restrictions
and can run down to our organisation and the society. The more we are clear
about our responsibilities associated with our roles, the more focus we will have
in fulfilling those responsibilities. The emotional connect towards our roles with a
feeling of accomplishing our responsibilities will release happiness in the reservoir
of our mind. By fulfilling our responsibilities, we are elevating the day, as well as
life of people around us.
Responsibility index is a measure of how much or to what extent we are able to
fulfil our responsibilities in the various roles we take up. More roles and more
accomplishments of responsibilities in those will scale up our responsibility index.
Our success is a matter which has a high correlation with our responsibility index.
Story
Time had etched its quiet lines on the old man’s face.
His hands trembled when he lifted a spoon, and his eyes, once sharp as an eagle’s,
now searched for light through a fog. His steps were uncertain, yet filled with the
grace of one who had walked a long journey of love and labour.
He had recently moved in with his son, daughter-in-law, and their four-year-old
boy. Every evening, the family gathered around the table for dinner — a symbol
of warmth and togetherness. But for the old man, even a simple meal had
become a struggle.
Sometimes, peas would roll off his spoon and scatter across the floor like tiny
green marbles. Sometimes, his glass would slip, sending milk spilling in thin white
streams across the tablecloth. And sometimes, his hands would tremble so badly
that the sound of his spoon against the plate echoed louder than words.
His son’s patience began to wear thin.
The daughter-in-law sighed every night as she cleaned the mess.
Finally, one evening, the son said quietly, “We must do something about father. I
can’t watch this every day. The spilled milk, the broken dishes — it’s too much.”
So they set up a small table in the corner of the room.
There, the old man ate alone. His food was served in a wooden bowl —
unbreakable, they thought.
From that day on, laughter continued at the main table, but not in his corner.
Sometimes, when the family glanced his way, they saw a tear slide down his
cheek. But no one said a word. Only the sound of the child’s chatter filled the
silence.
The four-year-old watched everything.
He watched his grandfather’s trembling hands.
He watched his father’s anger and his mother’s silence.
And he stored it all somewhere deep inside his small, understanding heart.
One evening, before dinner, the father noticed his son playing quietly on the floor
with a few pieces of wood.
He asked gently, “What are you making, my boy?”
The child looked up, his eyes innocent and bright. “A bowl,” he said happily. “A
little wooden bowl for you and mama to eat from when I grow up.”
The father froze. The room went still.
For a long moment, no one spoke. Then tears began to roll down the father’s face
— slow, ashamed, and cleansing.
That night, he took his father’s frail hands in his own and led him back to the
family table. The old man looked up in surprise, his eyes glistening.
From that day onward, the wooden bowl was never used again.
And when milk spilled or a fork fell, nobody minded anymore. The tablecloth
could always be washed — but the lesson that small boy had taught them would
stay forever clean.
It is our responsibility to always respect, care and love our elderly parents.
Activity
Write down your responsibilities in any of these roles,
a. parent
b. son/ daughter
_____________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Quote
“The price of greatness is responsibility.”– Winston Churchill
Take Away
1. Know your roles and responsibilities. Responsibility index is a measure of how
much or to what extent you are able to fulfil your responsibilities in the various
roles you take up.
2. More roles and more accomplishments of responsibilities in those will scale up
your responsibility index.