Family is where it all begins

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As far back as when I was still in the elementary school many years ago, I had long discovered that I did not have to ask questions about the reality of some essential and paramount things in life like some of my friends who were not as fortunate as I am used to do. For example, it was needless for me to ask questions about how real love is, or question the existence of true love; whether someone can be loved genuinely because my both parents have always been inseparable lovebirds whose bond has always been stronger than that of Romeo and Juliet.

Since when I was a child until now, I have known my father to be a responsible man, one who works tirelessly to cater for the family, a loving husband and a father who has always been there for his family in all aspect. My mom too has been a perfect embodiment of the Proverbs 31 woman, one that is very supportive and caring, both to her husband and children. I grew up to believe in the existence of true love because in our home, love was never preached, it was practiced. After all, the most powerful message is the one practiced and not the one preached.

I remember a somewhat emotional and what would have metamorphosed into a sad incidence that happened in the year 2020 during the outbreak of the coronavirus. My eldest sister, my parents first child, who stays with her family in Lagos, another city in Nigeria, had put to bed her first child and as our tradition demands, my mom needed to go and help her babysit the baby. When she traveled to Lagos, she stayed longer than expected because as it was during the time of the outbreak, movement was restricted so she couldn't come back on time. Not long afterwards, my father became seriously sick that we had to take him to the hospital. My dad was not responding to treatment all through the time that he was in the hospital and the sickness became worse as days go by. Frankly speaking, it came to a point where we concluded that he was going to die and he himself said it too. We wanted to cook his favourite food for him but he forbade us not to. When we asked him why, his response was, ' I am not sure whether I will live to eat the food that you want to cook for me '. It was that bad. As it was divinely arranged, the restriction of movement was temporarily lifted and my mom Cam back. The most astonishing part of this story is that my dad's health was totally restored two days after my mom's arrival and it was clear to us that our 'old man' was not really sick, he was missing his wife.

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I am sharing this story so you will understand why I will hardly believe anybody who will dare tell me or show me the opposite of what I have witnessed between my parents. Why so many people are still struggling to come to terms with some crucial things such as this in life is because they have never experienced it in the home. We do not struggle to come to terms with what we have seen. I have a female friend who embraced celibacy in the Roman Catholic Church because of how abusive her father was to her mother.

I can boldly say that I have been able to live responsibly by the grace of God through the values that were inculcated into my life by my parents right from my tender age.

Here is what we have to ponder on on this matter:

There are so many negative influences already in the world that can easily capture and enslave the young minds. The big question now is, when your children will go out to meet those things that may eventually form a negative impression on their minds about these critical issues of life, can they look back at the home and think positively about these things?

If we can get it right in the family, then we can get it right in the society because the family is where it all begins.

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