Hello, beautiful people! Welcome to my blog. It's a pleasure to have you in this space. Once again, welcome 🤗
My parents had these words they used to say to me and my siblings when we were younger: "When you grow up, you will understand and appreciate all we do for you." Those words were indeed prophetic. Looking back, I realize they were actually right. Growing up as a child, especially being the firstborn, I was tasked with many responsibilities, which I felt were too much for a kid my age, so on several occasions I often felt like I was being mistreated and sometimes thought maybe I was adopted and wished one day my adopted parents would knock at our door and take me home to a place I would be treated like a princess.
However, as an adult now, I have come to really appreciate all my parents did that felt like maltreatment—those values and life skills they instilled in me. Those countless and tiring chores I did growing up have now proven to be valuable. From before I was ten years old, my mom would often take me to the market; she taught me some important things like selecting quality produce, pricing, and customer interaction.
All those market trips were more than just errands; they were hands-on learning experiences, which I have come to appreciate. By watching my mom negotiate prices (trust African moms, they are very good at this) and handling and managing relationships with customers, this thing and more has really helped me gain practical knowledge that has benefited me in my own life; I hardly get cheated in the market. Also, interacting with her customers also helped me develop communication skills, and I learned how to build relationships with older people.
Apart from always following my mom to the market, my dad was always sending me on errands, which, at the time, seriously felt so annoying and frustrating. I would never forget one time when I broke down in tears to my mom, begging her to come to my rescue. I was tired of how my name was always on my dad's lips when it comes to errands, and I was wishing my dad would send my siblings instead of me. My mom's response was that whenever my dad stops sending me errands, that's the time I should start getting worried.
In hindsight, those annoying errands were instrumental in helping me build my confidence. I also learned time management because there were times then when if I didn't return home on time from those errands, I would face my dad's displeasure, so this made me develop a sense of responsibility and accountability.
Even though at those moments it felt like my parents were wicked and unbearable, I would say that I have really come to appreciate all their efforts because those things prepared me for the demands of adulthood.
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THANK YOU FOR READING TO THE END 🤗
