Think of your parents

THE word ‘parents’ does not mean ‘angels’ or ‘saints’. It does not mean perfect people. We make mistakes of perception, calculation and understanding. We are humans and fallible.

This is not an admission of guilt. It is simply stating the truth. Parents are human beings. If the first family (Adam and Eve) got it wrong in the Garden of Eden, what more of us the offspring? We are saved by grace . . God’s forgiveness and mercy, not our righteousness.

First, you have no idea how all parents love their children, some even beyond reasonable limits. That means some even to the extent of being foolish. Every child is the apple of every parent’s eye and heart. They all expect them to do their best. Many are so loving and expect even the unthinkable and unachievable to happen.

Some parents, knowing their child is academically average will still expect them to be doctors, engineers, lawyers . . . even State presidents. It is all out of love, not ignorance. And of course some children’s mediocrity is others’ best or worst. Lest you forget!

But take one moment to think of the food, the clothing, school fees from

ECD through to primary, high school and university. And for many families there are siblings to go through the same costly journey. You are not alone.

You can easily calculate to the nearest dollar how much financial investment education means and takes. What more of the unquantifiable investment; the love, the care, the guidance and counselling!

Every parent loves and enjoys looking at themselves through the mirror called YOU. Every child must therefore send the correct reflection into the eyes of their parents from whose loins you came.

Some parents go this tough and costly journey alone in tears and pain. Imagine! Imagine how much more difficult it would be when a parent is single. If two parents see red, struggle through sweat and tears together, what more of one of them alone in the toil and tussle?

And what do you do as children? You do afford to fail examinations, for whatever reason, and put to waste all the resources bitterly, painfully and desperately amassed to educate and fend for you?

Then you listen to a lot of ‘beautiful nonsense’ about children’s rights.

Is it your right to be lazy at school and fail examinations after so much money has been put into your education? Is it your right to get lost into love affairs and concentrate on your tiny restless hearts and wild erotic feelings at school? Is it your right to cause your parents chronic hypertensions and depression?

Is it your right even, to commit suicide; to choose to die as a reward for everything they would have done for you? Is it your right to make your parents lose everything they would have put into you and finally lose you to the devil . . . not even to God? May be you have never heard, ‘there is no heaven for one who takes his or her own life.’ Consider Judas Iscariot. If you have never heard about him, ask your pastor or madzibaba.

Think of your parents. Appreciate what they are going through. Most of them sacrifice joy, freedom and comfort to make you as happy and as comfortable as can be. Others starve to make sure you are fed.

They cry every day so that you can smile. They pray and fast for you. What do you do? You play, not pray. You live like celebrities at school. What are you celebrating? Boy or girl-friends? Beer? Drugs? Celebrating decay!

You embarrass your parent or parents by turning left every time they tell you to turn right and hope God will forgive you?

What would it cost you to simply love your mom or dad, to respect them and avoid making them live beyond their means?

Why do you squeeze your parents between a rock and a hard place?

You scare or threaten your parent(s) with suicide. What is the gain? Heroes or heroines don’t commit suicide. They face wars and win some battles. . . yes they lose some but never lose themselves! So you want your parents to be scared of you? If they get scared and fail to stop you from delinquent love affairs and behaviour, then what next?

Why do you threaten your parents with death which will surely come anyway at the appointed time? So you go to school to ‘study for the grave?’

Thank you for not choosing death or suicide dear student. But what exactly is the difference between suicide and dying slowly every day in your moral decay and sinful debauchery?

What good is there in your avoiding suicide, but behaving in a way that slowly kills your parents? If you cause the death of your parent, through stress, hypertension or depression, how different is that from witchcraft?

While you are on vacation now, resting and reading, please seriously think about your parents? Pray for them if you can. Have it within your kindness to let this article touch your heart and change your life . . . your attitude, towards your dear parents. You can have as many boyfriends or girlfriends as you wish, as many relatives as God gave you, but you can never have more than one mom and one dad each.

Every parent is priceless and irreplaceable. Remember, ‘sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck,’ said Dalai Lama XIV. If this does not make sense, do yourself a favour, THINK!

Do not complicate your school lives as if life itself is not complicated enough. Do not wait for perfect moments; take moments and make them perfect. God allows us to experience pain and misfortune, to teach us lessons we could learn in no other way.

First untie the knot on your heart. You will never find yourself at the end of a suicide-rope.

Enjoy the vacation! But fervently follow this column.

Watch this space!