Family · Humor - Bellyful of laughter · Life · Love · Personal story

In Many Ways, We Become Our Parents…

jacquelineobyikocha
One of the voluntary days spent teaching children etiquette in a school in Lagos
One of the voluntary days spent teaching children etiquette at a school in Lagos

Except where parents are as mean as rattle snakes, during their formative years, most children look up to their parents as their heroes or role models without clay feet and worthy of emulating.

They soak in mannerisms, attitudes, lifestyle and a host of character moulding outlooks from those who have been placed in positions of authority as their custodians. This serves as a reminder that it is very needful to exercise diligent caution in writing positively all over the clean slate of life of these young ones whom we are responsible for.

Recently, I find myself gravitating towards a lot of things that my parents used to do and those that they inculcated in me in years that I hardly knew anything.

I catch myself these days, repeating certain statements that my mother makes.

The wise adages and idioms which laced my fathers enunciation’s line my speech and thoughts every other day.Your children

Asides from working for the University until they both retired, they both dabbled into so many other things such as side businesses, farming, arts and craft etc. and I can proudly say that maybe I did inherit some art skills and entrepreneurial abilities from them.

Though it seems I haven’t been a successful green-fingers like my dad. I think my lack of success has been out of sheer laziness. Plants thrived under dad’s fingers, but in my own case, I have been more inclined in putting in the plant into the soil, watering  and whispering to it a few times, then with a pat on the head, I stroll along, expecting the sapling to know what to do and to thrive. Of course the poor young sapling either strives to thrive or dies trying :/

Career wise, I did dabble into working in a school environment for a while but it didn’t hold my interest for too long. I reverted to volunteering my time to school work.

My mother told us a lot of stories when we were growing up and since we have long flown the coop, she currently enjoys the pleasure of volunteering her story moulding services regularly to the children’s church and it is always impressive to see how these children hang on to her and adore her. They call her mummy ever so often that I even feel twinges of jealousy occasionally.

I think I must have acquired storytelling genes from her.

I cannot recollect making conscious decisions to follow in their footsteps, but I catch myself sliding in directions that they have taken and it does make me ponder for a moment….maybe, I am becoming my parents. Who knows, I may still become a plant-whisperer as the days go by. Not a bad feeling at all is it? 🙂

In response to NaBloPoMo prompt – Wednesday, November 4

When you were a kid, did you want to have the same job or a different job than your parents when you grew up?

Published by jacquelineobyikocha

A wordsmith with a vivid imagination, an eager mind and a burning desire to carve out tales. As I journey with my muse to that land of all possibilities and self discovery, I hope my personal evolution will serve as a beacon of inspiration for anyone who chooses to stop by.

27 thoughts on “In Many Ways, We Become Our Parents…”

  1. Ever since my daughter was born I keep hearing my mother’s voice in so many things that come out of my mouth. I understand her worries and frustrations better now. I didn’t before. I think now that she did the best that she could do and that’s all that we can ever ask.

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  2. I used to want to do what my mother did. My father’s job seemed too formal and filled with Math. Then as I grew older, I found out that psychology (basically what my mother was involved in) could get unbearable for someone like me.
    Now I’m reluctantly following a path different from theirs.
    Also, I see a lot of my dad in me these days.

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  5. Good programming is a very valuable treasure. Children raised by rattle snakes often, don’t see anything wrong with being a snake. Sometimes, that realization comes in the teenage years or later but rewiring has to take place if a battered child is to transcend their upbringing and become more than a snake. You know I know of which I speak. Yet, I’ve found a way to honor my parents who’ve dishonored me: I forgive them and strive to live a life that honors God. Their attitude toward me still, hasn’t changed so, I can’t love them in person but I do choose to love them, and I love them through prayer. And it was a long road to here…honorable parents are a blessing to treasure.

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    1. It really is a grace-filled heart that can be able to forgive certain hurts that burdens the heart. I am truly glad that you have Christ and able to rise above such adversities and have broken that cycle. The enemy enjoys when such cycles become vicious and perpetuated. Thank God for his redeeming love.

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  11. Beautiful and touching. My sisters and I often laugh when we pop up with a “mumism” or have a dad moment but as you say it is not a bad thing. I know if I have half my parents kindness and good will I can be a caring person.

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I love it when you decorate my heart with your words..

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