Reader's Digest Australia Feb/Mar 2026

Dewans were hoping for news about the next generation of their family. Sho and his wife had married the previous November, and his parents were eager for grandchildren. Sho handed his mother an envelope. Inside was a Mother’s Day card that proclaimed: “Best Mum Ever!” with “and bap ” (“dad” in Bengali) written in. Sho’s mom shot a glance at her daughter-in-law and quickly got excited. They ARE pregnant! she thought. Uh, no. But tucked inside the card was another surprise. First, some Dewan history. Nearly 30 years ago, the family had lived a comfortable life in Bangladesh. Sho’s father was a mechanical engineer, and his mother a teacher. But his parents suspected that prospects for their young son and daughter would be brighter in America. When Sho was 5, the family packed their bags and moved to South- ern California. It was tough going at first. The cou- ple’s professional qualifications didn’t transfer over here, and they had to take whatever menial jobs they could find. Sho’s dad fried chicken at a KFC and mopped floors at a 7-Eleven. His mother worked at a casino. “They were doing anything just to put food on the table,” Sho told People maga- zine. His parents never complained about their lot, nor did they push Sho to follow the almighty dollar. Instead, they encouraged him to pursue his dreams. They went back to school in their 40s, and over time, Sho’s father got better- paying jobs, with the post office and at a hospital. Eventually, the couple was able to afford to buy a home. Meanwhile, the personable Sho fol- lowed his parents’ advice and launched his dream company, a career coaching business called Workhap. His parents’ faith in America had paid off. Their son was a success. But something was nagging at Sho. His selfless parents, now retired, were still writing a monthly mortgage check. For Sho, it was time to give back. After all they’d endured, his mother and father deserved a leisurely life, not one freighted by the debt. Back at the dining room table: Inside the envelope, Sho’s mother found a simple sketch of their house with “Our home!” written at the top. It was drawn on the back of a check. At first, Sho’s parents were con- fused. And then it registered. Sho had written out a very large check that would cover the rest of their mortgage. “It was always a dream of mine,” Sho says. “I’d love to take care of my parents, because they took care of us.” reader ’ s digest 60 February/March 2026 COURTESY OF ERIC CONKLIN “T oday,” wrote Eric Conklin on Instagram last August, “I got a tattoo that means more to me than anything else I’ll ever put on my skin.” The body art, which runs down his chest, is impossible to miss when his shirt is off. It’s not of a rose, nor does it scream “MOM.” It’s a tattoo of a long, angry-looking scar. It’s jagged, hor- rific, and possibly the most beautiful thing you’ll ever see. The tat is not just situated above the heart, it comes from the heart as well. About a year before he got inked, Conklin’s world came crashing down. His son Bennett was born with a con- genital heart defect. Over the next 30 days, Benny, as he’s known, endured multiple surgeries to fix the defect. It was touch and go all the way. But the boy was a battler and survived his ordeal. Growing up with that scar would be the next battle he’d have to withstand, and Conklin didn’t want him going it alone. At the Sunken Ship Tattoo Stu- dio, in Boonton, New Jersey, he handed the owner, Jimmy Ingram, a photo of Benny’s scar and said, “Gimme one of these!” It may seem extreme. But, says Conk- lin, “I wanted him to know he’s never alone in this fight. His scar is his story of survival. Mine is a promise: What- ever he carries, I’ll carry too.” Getsa Tattoo A F A T H E R Eric, Benny and their shared bond readersdigest.com.au 61 Cover Story