Understanding Change

Let me begin with change, our constant companion. Once I was asked how difficult or easy would it be for me to change my choice of morning beverage (tea for me). "NO WAY" was my first reaction. Am sure it is the same with each one reading this.
My son just left home to pursue his studies in a foreign land. New people, new culture, climate and even the biological clock had to be turned back to awake and rest with the clock of the land there. It was change in capitals and bold for him. It took a few days but he settled in like million other travellers and students.
In my email to him I often write asking him to perform better, attempt new things, be alert. All that parents normally say. Recently he underperformed in one of the class assignments and I tried to be as soft about it but the message was loud and clear : "You Disappoint".
My son wrote a mail back, perhaps he couldn't say it or his voice got washed away by my advice. He wrote that it was a huge transition for him, he now has to take care of a lot of things that were previously not in his mind. The academic level is no more of high school and research was the key word. Sleep has become a rare commodity because he always has some assignments to pursue. He hates the feeling of disappointing us, he continued. He wanted us to give him a little time to adjust to the sea change he is facing.
It struck me reading through his mail that sometimes how unaware we are to the change affecting even our close ones and in this case it was my son! I was aware about all of it theoratically to say but understood it only after he expressed it in so many words.