One moment you’re a child catered for, loved and cared for, directed on the way to go, dependant on your world, the authorities over your life. 

One moment, you are bathed for, driven around with no cares of the world knowing that you are covered by folks who once had their lives but now shower the chunk of their lives on you.

One moment you are the responsibility of others with no serious responsibility of your own perhaps responsibility as huge as house chores are your only concerns alongside you excelling at school. 

One moment you are being scolded, instructed, trained on the ways of living, on the ways of life, reprimanded in a way that you learn and apply for when you most desire– when you are set free to live on your own. 

One moment, you go into the world knowing you have those who are responsible for you and you know they will always be there for you.

And then, the next moment you are “they”.

You have become as they have been to you

You now have your responsibility guiding them in their survival stage where they come into the world with tiny hands and feet, unable to do anything for themselves but to trust they have hands who will care for them, who will carry them , nurture them and walk with them through their milestones.

You have become they whose life will need to adjust to now factor the little ones, to work and cater for needs outside of one. To bathe, dress up and embrace all that comes with being an authority over others. 

You have become they, who will now be responsible for lives of little ones directing them in their survival stage ways they should go. Teaching them the workings of life and the ways of living.

You have become “them” whose responsibility is no longer house chores but lives of humans where the consequence of getting it wrong is severe.

You begin to learn about the sacrifices those before you gave, the exhaustion they experienced, the fears they had in those stern voices they projected 

The worries they internalized 

The joys they experienced 

The love they felt that was abysmal 

The drive to live and succeed 

The shift in lifestyle, mindset and desires

Their redefinition of what success means 

You begin to experience these phases however defining them as you have chosen to; relevant to your personality, lived experiences and desired outcomes.

You may not be them, but now you walk somewhat in their shoes only now that you are using your feet and not theirs. Circumstances are different, and your choosing may be different however, how you choose to walk, where and the principles behind each step are majorly influenced by what you want it to be and what life itself presents to you.

You are now the parent; providing all you have once not needed to care about —to the next generation.

The Next Moment– Parenthood

Written by the desk of Mary Elebijo

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