I may never get the chance to take care of my old parents... So why wait?
Where I come from, families prefer waiting until the older folks in their family die before they spend money on them. While they are alive, they neglect taking care of them by giving them access to good food, good healthcare, shelter, and clothing.
They prefer to wait and probably pray that these oldies will die quickly so they can give them befitting burials (so they claim) and do away with thoughts of them.
The whole ideology sucks when I look at it. I mean, why wait till he or she dies, then spend money they would not be a party to on their burial arrangements? Why didn't you give them that money when they were alive to help them live longer?
I have this old woman living close by who has been neglected by her children. She struggles to fane for herself, you would think she is the only one on earth but,no.
She has children she trained, and gotten married off, but, none visits, nor sends her money.
The kitchen she uses to cook has no covering, and if rain falls, she literally won't be eating dinner that day. I don't even want to talk about her apartment. When it rains, everywhere is covered with water, and I wonder if she sleeps well at night. I wonder if she doesn't cry over the children she nursed and they have decided to desert her.
I know it's not easy for anyone especially when it comes to money. But it doesn't matter, does it? Even a small amount can go a long way to help. Children over here should learn to take care of their parents.
I know I am still very tiny, and earning very little, and my parents still pay my tuition fee, but, I make sure I send them money. Not that they couldn't afford it, but, I love seeing the smiles on their faces, and receiving hugs especially from mum.
Watching my parents smile because of me, give me joy
I do not want to wait until they die before I show them I love them, and how much I appreciate all of their efforts, no. I want them to reap the fruits of their labor as young as they are.
Also, right now the amount they receive is very small as compared to everything they have done for me. I know with time, the small amount will increase to large ones.
I do not want to wait until I have access to a large sum of money before I give them some. I may never think it's enough if I wait...
The phrase in my language states, "ese toho ke edab ekpeb mkpa", meaning that, "one learns to die through his sleep"
You see, little by little giving explodes, and I want a situation whereby giving to my parents becomes a habit, a habit that does not change over time, but, enlarges.
Money never finishes because we give out, it only grows. I am sure anyone who does not give isn't because they are selfish, it's because they feel, it will finish.
So they choose to hoard. The funny thing about this set of people is that one problem usually comes out of nowhere and sweeps every dime. I don't know if it's karma, but, it's usually a small problem that escalates out of proportion, and they had no choice but to spend the money they have been hoarding.
Do most of the people die and leave behind untrace amounts of money because no one knew it exists in the first place? Yes, it happens all the time. Most people who hoard money get so bad that they do not even spend them on themselves. The fear of losing everything and not getting it back makes them sulk over money.
The beauty of giving is that you will not be afraid. Once you understand how money works, you won't be afraid to spend on yourself, the lives of others, invest as you go.
Spending on our parents is a sort of investment too, we invest in karma, and fate has a way of balancing those things we did as we grew up, to facilitate what we get as we grow old.
Life is a garbage in, garbage out, I say this often, and the scripture even said, we should do to others, what we want to be done to us. And if we take care of our parents, destiny harvests their happiness, and grant us open doors and happiness in the near future.
A lot of us may never have the chance to take care of our parents if we wait until the grass is green. You cannot bet on them living for a long time, so why wait, and take chances when you can do the little you can now.
