The biggest support you can give to your children is not your money, but your health and time.

I see a lot of people who work very hard an push their bodies to the limit - reasoning that they want to give their children, the best possible lives - in terms of money for tuition to college and university.

However, what they do not realise is that the biggest support for a child is not their parent's money, but their parent's health.

I am 29 years old and an only child. My parents did work hard, but due to various factors - they could not succeed financially. These things did not deter me much. They would still do their best for me - particularly my mother. For instance, my mother would always insist I use a Volvo bus instead of a normal bus in college, and later on use Ola and Uber wherever possible.

There were some minor sacrifices along the way, but I did not feel it. For example, when I was a child and kids around me use to play video games - I used to play it too but I silently gave it up one day. I used to love books - but I found a way to get it for free online.

Maybe when it was time for college, I had to choose a slightly less popular college through CET rather than a better private college with 4x the fees.

I was saddle with debt when I started my first job - the total EMI was around 6 times my salary at the time - but it did not deter me much. I took multiple loans, worked on my craft, took loans myself and changed 3-4 jobs myself. These times were difficult.

However, when I think of the occassions in life that really made me feel helpless - it was always related to my parents' health. When my father got a heart attack and my mother got cancer - those were times when I felt helpless. Having healthy parents who are completely in their bodies and happy minds is the biggest support.

Keep that in mind the next time you are sacrificing sleep or a meal for work. Keep that in mind everytime you take a meeting that makes you feel miserable. Keep that in mind the next time you try to save pennies by opting for a 2 wheeler taxi through the city pollution instead of a 4 wheeler. Being physically and mentally fit is the biggest support for children.

Fortunately through God's grace, my father and mother got treated on time well - Life is a journey of constant unknowns.

Sometimes they feel bad that they didn't give me more money or gifts, but I never think like that. I think of giving them things.

Biggest peace of mind I can get is if they are healthy and happy. I also understand it is similar for people who know me. Rather than thinking of being successful to make them proud, what would really make them happy is if I am healthy and happy - so I do things which make me mentally happy and also physically healthy.