A couple of weeks ago, I posted an article titled "The Role Of Unconditional Love In Successful Marriages", and I will like to on this occasion, borrow a line or two from it to celebrate my wonderful parents as they clock 30 years of blissful marriage.
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"...........A PARENT’S LOVE: Have you ever taken your time to put your parents’ lives into perspective, as it relates to your needs and theirs? The day you do so is the day you stop taking them for granted and start appreciating them more.
"Most of us with middle-class or poor parents can relate better to this (this isn’t to say it doesn’t apply to rich parents too). Imagine parents who receive their salary at the end of the month and decide to pay your school fees, stock the house so there is food for everyone, replace your old clothes, buy you new books, pay your hospital bills if you happen to fall sick, enroll you for extra academic lessons, buy you presents to celebrate important dates, save up for your other impending needs, etc. But the same parents also need new clothes, tuition for a new professional course, money for land or completion of their house project, money to buy a car or replace an old one to aid their mobility and improve their societal status, money for a new business venture, money for a well-deserved vacation for their hard work on their jobs and at home, or just buy themselves something nice because after all it is their money, but will put all of these on hold till first your needs are met.
"On and on this goes. The parents work and invest the bulk of the money they make from this on developing you from one stage in life to another and never stop spending till you are able to stand on your own and fend for yourself. In the process, most of their own needs are foregone completely and because they age as you grow, they become feeble with time and can no longer work as much. By the time they’re done spending on you, they’re either retired or close to it, leaving them with just stipends to get by till the Maker calls them home (except for a few lucky ones who make well enough to be able to save up and/or start a viable business(es) in retirement, or have children who have early starts and puts their needs as priority in their spending).
"The sad reality however is, growing up most children receive these favours without realizing they are favours, seeing them rather as their rights. Do you give thanks when your right is done to you? Mostly not. But do our parents mind? Absolutely not!
"Even sadder is the fact that despite their sacrifices, we always want to have our way, constantly disobeying them in the process, especially during puberty. In the end we blame it all on youthful exuberance and other ready-made societal excuses to justify our rebellious actions. In the process, many children cause their parents pain and heartache, putting them through all sorts of unimaginable problems.
"But guess who is always there for you no matter how big the ‘yawa’ is or how far you’ve strayed, when everybody else deserts you and you’re seemingly by yourself? It’s those same parents who technically are the most pained by your actions given they have the most at stake haven dedicated their whole life to training you and investing in making you someone in life. Rather than leave you to your problem, that unconditional love still drives them to make whatever bothers you their headache too.
"The lesson here is that, with all that you take from them and everything else you put them through, parents will only be happy when you are happy, and will always be sad when/if you are not okay. Whatever way it affects them is always secondary, which almost means that they love you more than they love themselves. This kind of love is second only to the love of GOD. It is the best example of unconditional love among humans........."
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Such is the love my siblings and I have enjoyed from these wonderful parents of ours, and as they today celebrate yet another milestone in their union together, we the children, are not only grateful to GOD for bringing them together to give us life, but also for blessing them enough to be the best parents anyone could ever ask for!
Congratulations daddy and mummy. May you live long together in happiness, wealth and good health, and may we never cease to be sources of constant joy and fulfillment to you as parents.
We love you!
Signed: IBRAHIM BABATUNDE IBRAHIM
(For the Lawal children)
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