Thread by @Osi_Suave

Been thinking lately about the people who say alot of Nigerian parents use their kids as retirement plans bla bla.

And it has had me thinking

As basic as education is

It might be what saves you from ending up as a street Urchin or worse.

Your folks gave everything to give you education

Imagine your folks had you at 35.

You spend at least 19 years in school

Add that to the age of your folks

Thats 54

So your dad and mum would have spent the best parts of their lives fending for you and your siblings

Most of our folks are educated and have pensions or businesses that fund them after they have stopped being active.

But from time to time look after your parents.

You dont even need to be told.

Send them money

Take care of something in their house.

It could be

Groceries
Medical bills
House staff
Fuel for their cars
Anything

Imagine all the money you throw away buying champagne, buying things you dont need.

Imagine taking out a small fraction to send to your folks.

Dont be that child whose parents will be dying small small cos they are ashamed to ask you or when they ask you shun dem cos they are not ur responsibility.

But when they die. You shut down the village to give them a befitting burial..
Which wont even matter to them

I dont know how you will be helping strangers when your family is starving sha

Cos if not for the sacrifices your parents made you wont have the privileges you have today no matter how small.

I didnt get along with my dad growing up.

I started to understand him ans appreciate him say 10 years ago.

As an adult myself i have seen how hard it is to cater for yourself and pay bills. It can drive u crazy

I never asked my dad for anything as a kid that I didnt get

From school bag with clock behind
To bicycles
To the most ridiculous things

He will always come thru for all of us..

It suddenly hit me how difficult it is to actually be a man

As a married man you lose yourself.

You live for your family providing and nurturing everyday

You shelve your dreams
You shelve your aspirations

So you can give your kids the best

My Mum had to start her PhD after we all got uni Admission

How she completed it with a full time Job still amazes me till today.

One thing that will get you far is the prayers of your parents.

God listens

If they genuinely pray

Alot of successful people who are living on the edge get by with the prayers from their folks

Alot of us have kids.

We can see how crazy it is already

Look out for ur folks.

Tell them how much they mean to you. Those glowing tributes when they die wont mean anything

I see alot of people saying we should be woke and cut off family that want to anchor on us to become successful

But you anchored on your parents who probably anchored on their siblings to lift you all from the grasp of despair and poverty

Also you have cousins, siblings and folks who dont have

Be there for them before you tend to people outside.

Always have it at the back of your mind that you will be no where if your parents didnt make sacrifices for you

On a trip to the states a met a woman.

Stark illiterate as i was the one that filled all her forms

She was going for her son's graduation and her story shook me

She was widowed and she gave everything to make sure her son went abroad from her small provision store.

From the SAT fees to how she and her son entered one bike to meet his visa interview. To how she would do Ajor to send her son money from time to time.

She was in debt now

But she says its nothing because her son is finally a graduate

That she didnt go to school but she will give everything for her son to finish and now he has.

Countless of other stories.

Your folks have a choice not to actually care tbh

But when they are still alive. Allow them smell fresh flowers.