Hello Hive Ghana Community, It's a Wonderful weekend from my end, it's actually promises to be a fun one in a way , now to the topic prompt for this week .
Growing up ehn, the kind of training we received was not small thing, sometimes I look back and just shake my head like, "Ahn ahn , were we in military camp or what?" but the funny thing is, many of those things I used to think were punishments actually shaped me into the person I am today.
See for example, in our house, you dare not enter your neighbour’s house to go and watch TV, Ha! Omo that one was like a serious offence, even if the cartoon of the century was showing, just waka pass, my mom would always say that , "Don’t go and be carrying other people’s behaviour and bring into my house," and then I used to think she was just being harsh and did not want us to have fun like other children, but now that I am older and also a parent , I see the sense in it ,that rule alone taught me boundaries and contentment,it taught me that I did not have to be everywhere or be involved in everything to feel relevant.
Also another one that still makes me laugh today was how we were never allowed to hang around the living room when a visitor was eating, once the food is served, you as a child must disappear ,In fact, before they even ask you to go, you better carry your legs and vanish, It didn’t matter if the food was smelling like heaven or the guest was someone you liked , you see out you go, See then I used to feel bad like, "So I am not good enough to be here?" or "Why can’t I just stay quietly and not say anything?"
But now I understand it was all about respect and discipline, our parents were teaching us to give people space and to not be intrusive, they were instilling in us that there is a time and place for everything, and to be honest, that discipline has followed me into adulthood, I now know when to excuse myself without being told,i know when to give people their privacy, It is actually funny how things we thought were punishment are the same things helping us navigate our adulthood better.
Even basic things like waking up early, doing chores before you even brush teeth, not talking back, and being mindful of your tone , those things seemed like wahala then, but now I see how it all plays a part in being responsible and respectful, sometimes I just laugh and tell my mom, "So you people planned our life like this from childhood?" And she will just smile and say, "You will thank us later."
And truly, I do thank them now, because even though it felt like suffering then, it was actually molding, I am not perfect, but I can boldly say those strict childhood teachings gave me sense in places where many don’t have it.
So yeah, not every “punishment” was punishment, some were actually life lessons in disguise.
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