I feel like we have all heard of that one joke about how Bengali parents want their kids to pursue a career in medicine yet they are the ones who are most reluctant to visit their doctor for a check-up. More often than not, it is an option they don't even want to consider. It is an option that they turn to only when they have exhausted everything else.

And that is precisely why every time my mom tells me she is feeling a little sick, I begin to spiral. It is a situation we are all too familiar with. Every appointment they don't make, pills they refuse to take, check-up they decline, feels like a tug-of-war. The constant nagging eventually leads to outbursts and arguments.

What begins as concern for their wellbeing is later engulfed by frustration and powerlessness. I wonder if they view it as a selfless act or intend to show just how strong they are.