- “A family is like a forest when you are outside it is dense, when you are inside you see that each tree has its place.” – Ghana, Akan
Having been brought up in the village before, I was introduced to the globalized world, much has changed now.
A village that used to have many trees now has been replaced with farmland, it has electric poles, yes, there is light in different homes.
The market center has also changed; one can spot a village pub which never used to be there.
This is a small example, but I find it sad how things have greatly changed. Many of my grandparents from the extended family are no more, most of my cousins, aunts; uncles whom I used to grow up among them, some I have never seen to date, the only way I can manage to talk to them is through social media (Facebook and Twitter).
Some have children of their own (I am yet to have one).
I feel sad about this feeling; life is no longer the way it used to be. Thank God, I was grateful to have lived with my grandmother now with my grandpa and his brother together with my dad, they have taught me the value of living with a family that is united.
This justifies that, every society creates certain expectations for its children, and this affects the kinds of educational opportunities and careers they aspire towards. Crucially, study after study has shown that these ambitions really matter. What a child believes about their capabilities has a strong bearing on what they will actually achieve.
Most of the elderly are dying not because of ill health, but because God granted them blessings to live this far to see us grow, have families and to also see their grand and great-grandchildren. With so much happening, the new generation, for me I can trace it to the fourth, I live in the fifth generation, a generation that is greatly influencing globalization. Change that to me seems to be changing the way we have lived with each other, a generation that is almost losing touch with its own language.
Maybe, it’s time we all gathered and Listened to our parents when they want to share their history! Life is about trusting our feelings and taking chances, losing and finding happiness, appreciating the memories and learning from the past.
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