how does the poem ring out the irony of human relationship?

The irony of human relationships lies in the fact that the closest bonds that we have formed since our birth can sometimes become a burden and source of guilt. Our parents bring us up to forge our own paths but the young must take care of their old parents when the time comes. If the poet's mother expected her daughter to stay back and take care of her then she wouldn't have come to the airport to see her off. But there is always a hope that resides deep within parents that their children will take the responsibility of looking after them in their old age. It is a hope ingrained in parents and propagated by social concerns. However, parents also understand that children need to determine their career paths and that can take them away from home. The poet probably feels guilty about leaving her mother behind but she will go because she has to make something of her life or for whatever reasons she chooses to leave home. The young cannot be tied down to home, they have to take the reins of their life while the old who have spent their prime must wait for them to come back.