I was a little girl but I could observe. I saw the love my parents showered on people. Even people not related to them.
A lady who just got admitted into a college of education near my house was looking for an accomodation. She resumed on her first day with her parents. I guess they wanted to help her look for accomodation.
The parents walked straight to our house, knocked and told my parents that they were looking for an accomodation for their child. My parents directed them to a house nearby where there was vacancy.
They came back and said they don't like the place. It is like boys hostel and they can't have their daughter living with only boys. Immediately Mum spotted their values. She knew they must be good parents.
She went in and sought Dad's permission. She told them that their daughter could stay with us until she finds a suitable place. We don't know them before -- they were total strangers. They thanked my Mum and prayed for her and her family. They told their daughter to begin the search the next day and try and move out quickly. They thanked us and left.
That night, Mum told me to arrange my room to accommodate her. That's how a stranger became my room mate. The next day, Mum gave her money and asked her to cook for us. Mum left for the market to sell. A stranger got accepted into the house and is cooking our meal! Just imagine. Mum showed her how accommodating our family can be.
That lady didn't remember to move out of our house until after six months. She never bothered to look for a house again 馃槄. When the parents came to visit again and found her still living with us, they couldn't believe it. It was then they insisted that she left and my family too saw reasons that somehow, they need their privacy when they visit.
THE LESSON
BE ACCOMODATING.
This is a quality my parents have 100% of. They are so embracing and ready to assist. While growing up we were a family of eight. Six children and Mum n Dad. But I remember that when we cooked, we shared the food into nothing less than thirteen plates. Friends of my elder brothers who fed daily at least one meal in my house were many.
Some children envy us, they wonder why their own parents can't be as nice and friendly as mine. Some even come to my Dad to advice them on the course to choose, help them fill and sign their Jamb forms where they have parents. They were always in my house and saw my Dad as their own father.
This quality of my parents really helped me when I fell in love with hubby, a Yoruba man. I had some other suitors who were from my area, speaking same language with me. But my heart yearned for my Yoruba guy馃槄. I am the first daughter , how am I going to present a "non-native" to my parents?
Even when extended family members asked why I refused one rich man who came, I told them I have someone already. One particular Uncle was mad to hear that "small" me could choose for myself. He wanted to bring that old tradition of choosing a husband for their daughters. But I told him I have made my choice. When he learnt he was a Yoruba man, he began talking to my Dad if he would allow my excesses up to that extent. I was scared my parents would not support me.
But I was glad to hear my Dad say " We have only two tribes in this World. The good tribe and the bad tribe. If that man is good, he is from the good tribe. As far as he is good, I don't care what other tribe he comes from". 馃拑馃拑馃拑馃拑馃拑馃拑馃拑 That was how I got the approval of bringing a "non-native" into the family and thank God the marriage has been a blessing for fifteen years now. That Uncle has kept congratulating my choice every time he sees me 馃槄
IMPACT OF MY CHILDHOOD ON MY ADULTHOOD
Today, just like my parents, I accept people of all tribes as friends. I do not discriminate. I try my best to make every one around me happy and more importantly, I make myself approachable. I do not class myself, neither do I stick with those who do. I befriend everyone and try to help as much as I can.
Two years ago, at my place of worship, I noticed a young guy that doesn't do anything tangible. I asked him to come over. Together with hubby, we asked him what he does. He said he learnt a trade but had no money to start off. So for now, he is "floating". We asked about his parents and he said the parents trained their first child to be an engineer but for years, no job. So, his parents decided not to waste time training others. We then asked what he likes to do now, he said he doesn't even want to go into that trade he learnt again but wants to be a taxi driver instead. Do you know how to drive? He said no. So we made arrangement and paid in a driver school for driving lessons for him. He got proficient in driving and right now, the guy is fit. He is able to take care of himself, lives comfortably and dresses well. He is already planning to get married.
I am not blowing my trumpet, but I only mentioned it for the sake of this post. That accomodative attitude I learnt from my parents has continued to be with me till now. At a time after my wedding, three of my husband's siblings were living with me. Even when his Mum came to look after my first child, she stayed for four months. If she wasn't comfortable, she wouldn't stay that long. I enjoy helping and making people to be free with me. As much as I can, I enjoy caring for people in need. The blessings are enormous. One greatest one is happiness. It makes me happy to see people glorify God for his blessings. It makes me happy to see that I am the one whom God used to bless them and put a smile on someone's face each day.
This is my entry into 
Thanks for stopping by.
Yours, 
Header image source edited with polish
SPANISH
Era una ni帽a peque帽a, pero sab铆a observar. Vi el amor que mis padres derramaban sobre la gente. Incluso a personas que no eran parientes suyos.
Una se帽ora que acababa de ser admitida en una universidad cercana a mi casa buscaba alojamiento. Se present贸 el primer d铆a con sus padres. Supongo que quer铆an ayudarla a buscar alojamiento.
Los padres fueron directamente a nuestra casa, llamaron a la puerta y les dijeron que estaban buscando alojamiento para su hija. Mis padres les indicaron una casa cercana donde hab铆a una vacante.
Volvieron y dijeron que no les gustaba el sitio. Es como un albergue de chicos y no pueden permitir que su hija viva solo con chicos. Inmediatamente, mam谩 se dio cuenta de sus valores. Supo que deb铆an de ser buenos padres
Entr贸 y pidi贸 permiso a pap谩. Les dijo que su hija pod铆a quedarse con nosotros hasta que encontrara un lugar adecuado. No los conoc铆amos de nada, eran unos completos desconocidos. Le dieron las gracias a mi madre y rezaron por ella y su familia. Le dijeron a su hija que empezara la b煤squeda al d铆a siguiente e intentara trasladarnos r谩pidamente. Nos dieron las gracias y se marcharon.
Esa noche, mam谩 me dijo que preparara mi habitaci贸n para alojarla. As铆 fue como una desconocida se convirti贸 en mi compa帽era de habitaci贸n.
Al d铆a siguiente, mam谩 le dio dinero y le pidi贸 que cocinara para nosotros. Mam谩 se fue al mercado a vender. 隆Una extra帽a fue aceptada en la casa y est谩 cocinando nuestra comida! Imag铆nate. Esa se帽ora se neg贸 a irse de nuestra casa hasta pasados seis meses. Nunca m谩s se molest贸 en buscar casa 馃槄. Cuando los padres volvieron a visitarla y la encontraron todav铆a viviendo con nosotros, no se lo pod铆an creer. Fue entonces cuando insistieron en que se fuera y mi familia tambi茅n vio razones que de alguna manera, necesitan su privacidad cuando vienen de visita
LA LECCI脫N
SER COMPLACIENTE.
Esta es una cualidad que mis padres tienen al 100%. Son muy comprensivos y est谩n dispuestos a ayudar. Cuando 茅ramos peque帽os, 茅ramos una familia de ocho miembros. Seis ni帽os y mam谩 y pap谩. Pero recuerdo que cuando cocin谩bamos, repart铆amos la comida en nada menos que trece platos. Son muchos los amigos de mis hermanos mayores que hacen a diario al menos una comida en mi casa.
Algunos ni帽os nos envidian, se preguntan por qu茅 sus propios padres no pueden ser tan buenos como los m铆os. Algunos incluso acuden a mi padre para que les aconseje sobre el curso que deben elegir, les ayude a rellenar y firmar sus formularios Jamb cuando tienen padres. Siempre han estado en mi casa y ven a mi padre como a su propio padre.
Esta cualidad de mis padres me ayud贸 mucho cuando me enamor茅 de mi marido, un hombre yoruba. Ten铆a otros pretendientes de mi zona que hablaban mi mismo idioma. Pero mi coraz贸n anhelaba a mi yoruba馃槄. Soy la primog茅nita, 驴c贸mo voy a presentar a un "no nativo" a mis padres?
Incluso cuando mis familiares me preguntaron por qu茅 hab铆a rechazado a un hombre rico, les dije que ya ten铆a a alguien. Un t铆o en particular se enfad贸 al o铆r que la "peque帽a" yo pod铆a elegir por m铆 misma. Quer铆a recuperar la vieja tradici贸n de elegir un marido para sus hijas. Pero le dije que ya hab铆a elegido. Cuando se enter贸 de que era yoruba, empez贸 a hablar con mi padre para que me permitiera algunos excesos. Ten铆a miedo de que mis padres no me apoyaran
Pero me alegr贸 o铆r a mi padre decir: "En este mundo s贸lo hay dos tribus. La tribu buena y la tribu mala. Si ese hombre es bueno, es de la tribu buena. Si es bueno, no me importa de qu茅 otra tribu venga". 馃拑馃拑馃拑馃拑馃拑馃拑馃拑 As铆 fue como obtuve la aprobaci贸n para traer a un "no nativo" a la familia y, gracias a Dios, el matrimonio ha sido una bendici贸n desde hace quince a帽os. Ese t铆o ha felicitado mi elecci贸n cada vez que me ve 馃槄.
IMPACTO DE MI INFANCIA EN MI EDAD ADULTA
Hoy, al igual que mis padres, acepto como amigos a personas de todas las tribus. No discrimino. Hago todo lo posible para que todos los que me rodean sean felices y, lo que es m谩s importante, me hago accesible. No me clasifico, ni me quedo con los que lo hacen. Me hago amigo de todo el mundo e intento ayudar en todo lo que puedo.
Hace dos a帽os, en mi lugar de culto, me fij茅 en un joven que no hace nada tangible. Le ped铆 que se acercara. Junto con mi marido, le preguntamos a qu茅 se dedicaba. Me dijo que hab铆a aprendido un oficio, pero que no ten铆a dinero para empezar. As铆 que por ahora est谩 "flotando". Le preguntamos por sus padres y nos dijo que hab铆an formado a su primer hijo para que fuera ingeniero, pero que durante a帽os no hab铆a trabajo. As铆 que sus padres decidieron no perder el tiempo formando a otros. Luego le preguntamos qu茅 le gusta hacer ahora, y dijo que ni siquiera quiere dedicarse a ese oficio que aprendi贸 de nuevo, sino que quiere ser taxista. 驴Sabes conducir? Dijo que no. As铆 que nos pusimos de acuerdo y pagamos en una autoescuela para que le dieran clases de conducir. Ahora est谩 en forma. Puede cuidar de s铆 mismo, vive c贸modamente y viste bien. Ya est谩 planeando casarse.
No es por tocar la trompeta, pero s贸lo lo he mencionado por el bien de este post. Esa actitud acomodaticia que aprend铆 de mis padres me ha acompa帽ado hasta ahora. Despu茅s de mi boda, tres hermanos de mi marido viv铆an conmigo. Incluso cuando su madre vino a cuidar de mi primer hijo, se qued贸 cuatro meses. Si no estaba a gusto, no se quedaba tanto tiempo.
Disfruto ayudando y haciendo que la gente sea libre conmigo. En la medida de mis posibilidades, disfruto cuidando de la gente necesitada. Las bendiciones son enormes. Una de las m谩s grandes es la felicidad. Me hace feliz ver que la gente glorifica a Dios por sus bendiciones. Tambi茅n me hace feliz ver que soy yo a quien Dios utiliza para poner una sonrisa en la cara de alguien cada d铆a.
Esta es mi participaci贸n en el concurso
Gracias por visitarme.
Atentamente,
Imagen de cabecera fuente editada con pulido