Exclusively for guests

A few days ago, I was having my evening coffee with my parents. While sipping up the coffee, I noticed my dad's mug. It had a prominent crack on on side. I told my dad that he should change the mug. Dad disagreed and told me that the mug was fine. I told him that I could see the mug has been damaged and it should be discarded. I also informed him that we have several tea mugs in our collection.

"No this mug is fine, those mugs are for guests," he replied.

His reply made my blood boil. Because there are over 20 good mugs in the kitchen but my parents refused to use those mugs because they are to be set aside for the guests.

To Indians this situation must feel relatable. We receive a lot of crockery as gifts. We also buy a lot of crockery from the shops. We love the crockery the moment we see them in the shop and fall in love with them enough to buy it. At soon as the crockery arrives home it is stovered somewhere 'safe', out of our sight and reach. Our parents keep the crockery away from us to protect it from daily use. It is kept protected exclusively for guests.

This is a regular trait of my Indian household that makes me frustrated. In the kitchen several crockery sets have blocked the space. They are rarely used. Some are never used. They are kept safe so that whenever guest will come to our place we will serve them in those 'fancy' mugs. I completely fail to understand why should there be the occasion for using fancy mugs. It makes me angry that good things are reserved for rarely visiting guests and never used on ourselves.

My parents would use broken mugs but would never touch the good mugs that they have purchased with their own hard earned money. That makes me irritated. I do not understand their logic of continuing to keep broken items in use instead of using the good items. I hate to see that they put themselves on the pedestal to make the guest happy. And unfortunately Indian guests are never happy with any sort of hospitality. I fail to understand why such sacrifices are to be made to expect the happiness out of ungrateful visitors.

While I believe that nothing should be retained exclusively for the visitors. If we have bought something it should be put to the use immediately. I strongly believe that good things should not be reserved to be used in the uncertain future. They should be used right at that moment because we are not even aware if there is going to be a future.

Several times I tried to explain this to my parents however they are stubborn and continue to use the old broken things. According to them if we use something and then offer it to the visitors it is disrespectful towards them and it does not make us hospitable. We often clash with each other on these ideologies. Finally I call it quits in the name of generation gap.