By Segun Durowaiye

Truths on parents and child relationship

Sir: The parent/child relationship is of great importance.
It is the bedrock of life and existence. Much has been written about this very theme for ages and time immemorial in places where people commit their thoughts to paper and even in this part of the world.

Mothers and even fathers are always concerned about the well-being, success and development of their children. Mothers are passionately inclined and close to the child which they had born and reared.

The following poem entitled, “Things My Mother Asked Of Me,” by Capt. A. Yakubu sheds more light on this:

“Four things I ask of you my son,

Move far away from falsehood

Keep on praying and working

Worship neither poverty nor riches

Feed only on food that is needful.”

The distress of a mother, whose loving care and good advice have gone for nothing, is expressed in “Mother’s Lamentation” by Sgt. Dominic De Nor, a poem from the same collection:

“Wo-Yoo Allah! My sons love beer

And make bars their Churches

My daughters roam from city to city in search of love.

Though I suffer greatly to beget them

None avail to watch my last breathe.

My eyes shut to open no more.”

This poem gives a desolate and vivid picture of a mother whose children have forsaken her in her old age and left her alone to die a lonely death.

Fathers too have their sorrows, pride and joy regarding their children.

An old nightwatch man in the story, “Mercy” by James Plunkett was sitting with his friends when his son came by. This young man was too busy, too unconcerned to be aware of his father’s loneliness and moved away with a few insincere words about visiting his father properly in a few day’s time.

Children should live their lives in total obedience, kindness and humility to their parents and guardians because next after parents is the Almighty God.

Parents are earthly God to the children. They should be well-taken care of as at when due particularly when the clock is ticking solemnly for them to join their Maker.

Everyone prays to live to old age and grey hairs, so parents should not be abandoned at this crucial period of their lives, when it matters most.

Whatever we do on planet earth will definitely boomerang and come back to us at a certain time in our lives.

We should always sow good seeds in order to reap beautiful seeds at a later time and point in our lives. On our journey through life we should be nice and good to fellow human beings and particularly to our parents.

Finally, a poem by Patrick Kavenagh, “To A Child.” This poem conveys the aspirations of a father who wishes his child to follow the light which would finally lead him to God:

“Child, there is a light somewhere

Under a star. Sometime it will be for you

A window that looks inward to God.”

There is always payback time to all our actions here on earth.

Yorubas have a saying, “Ohun a ba gbin ni a maa ka, a ki gbin alubosa ko di efo.” Meaning, “You reap whatever you sow.” Karma never forgets. God never sleeps. That is the basic truth. And it can never be changed or avoided. Think about it.

Segun Durowaiye can be reached via 08055356855.