Obeisance To Our Parents

As Africans, we are quite particular about how well we are been perceived by other people which includes our friends, neighbors and even colleagues at work who do not share any form of relationship with us. Africa as a continent embodies so many countries and vast cultures with  different tribes and tradition. The rate at which we as Africans determine what is qualified good and bad is measured on the perimeter of our society.

Living under the African culture has a lot of lessons attached to daily activities associated with each passing day. As a member of a family, for a child, it is much expected that a child doesn’t talk back at his parent. This is a sign of respect. For one, it is believed that talking back at your parent is a sign of how disrespectful a child is. Authority is like an award bestowed on the male gender of the family who you dare not go against..

For a child to grow into a responsible fellow in he society, the background of that child has a lot of work to do fr him/her. Being responsible and taking responsibility for your actions is one key factor that is taken seriously under the African setting. You have to be an African to really understand what am saying, otherwise this write up will just be another sultry post to you. Even if you are not African, I like to introduce you to the fact that culture is one thing that is not taken for granted in this part of the world (Africa). 

Doing what your parents want at all time is a sign of being respectful, now when I say all time, I don’t really mean aaaaall timmme……. Am not talking about being a PUPPET. As Africans obedience is the bedrock of our beliefs. Even the bible preaches it when it admonishes that ‘’children, obey your parents in the lord: for this is right (Eph. 6:1)……. It went further in verse 2 saying…..”honor thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise) and also in Eph. 6:3 when it correctly states that “ that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth (Deuteronomy 6:4-9,Hebrews 13:17 ) I am not going to come out like am  a preacher.

Your biological parents are not the only once tagged as your parents, the society, your elders, relatives older than you, the old woman across the street and any other person who is way older than you. Precisely, here in Nigeria, everybody owns a child. This does not mean that you have to forsake your biological parents for the sake of answering to people who have little or no sort of bound with you.

The purpose of this article is to help us understand that we as Africans particularly, Nigerians come from a place where obeisance to our parents is paramount.