Life is in the blood.

This has been a historic idiom known and intentionally practiced in my culture which has also been internalized as a serious tradition in my family.

"Blood is thicker than water" An idiomatic phrase!

Even the holy book says, "For the life of the flesh, is in the blood "

For me, this word is confirming this idiomatic phrase.
"Blood is thicker than water"

From childhood till whichever ages i and my siblings might be now, my parents had always emphasised on this very particular phrase. It has been planted into our hearts and characters as siblings. This practice even extended to our aunties and uncles both from my mother's side and that of my father.

We all care for one another, no matter what the situation turns out to be. We discuss, disagree, harmonise, agree again to carry out things together. Even if one is not closer home at the discussion table, you must have been told about the topic of the discussion and we expect your reply.

The result of any event is also communicated back to whoever that is in a distance place. We are united in agreements and actions. It doesn't mean actually that we have never quarreled,... no. It only means we make up faster after every quarrels and disagreements. No matter how offensive the situation maybe. We always never want to disobey the expectations of our parents or bridge the family tradition of "blood is thicker than water".

This has given us peace of mind, unity and love to one another including wives and husbands that are married into our family. They respect this family routine.This idiom, has been working for us in my family. We call ourselves to know how everyone is fairing from time to time, sometimes we make video calls to see us, our families and husbands or wives because we do not live together in one city or country.

When my mom was alive, i suggested we open up a bank account for her where we all drop some money at our convenient. Within every month. I always announcing in our family whatsap group whoever
that has dropped what and how much each has dropped. Everyone will appreciate such gestures.

On the 28th of every month, i will withdraw it send to her for her up keep. This doesn't stop any of us sending her some money or food items on our individual levels as we wish. My brother opened up a WhatsApp group where we talk about us and complement and encourage ourselves, share some good news as well. Apart from calling each other on the phone to know how we are doing within the weeks. It's just a normal behavior to us all.

Many of my family members live outside this country, Nigeria but we talk, agree and disagree on many family points. Disagreement here means that everyone has their own opinions about everything things, some times we do not tally together but after such disagreements, we will still find a way to reason together and agree. That is to say we sometimes disagree to agree but that blood bond is still intact in our minds and characters anytime, anyday.

A typical example now is the recent meetings, agreements and unity we had just this year at my mother's burial. Both during the planning and the actual date. Every thing went fine, we owed nobody.

Our most senior cousins and uncles from both my mother's side and my father's side made us have one full house of a set of meetings, planning the burial of my mother.

Instructions from this cousin of mine were, everyone should contribute as much as they can for the burial.
We should have one bank account where to drop how much you decide to drop for the event.

That we were not going to share some amounts or task anyone for any amount. This attitude is not found in many families these days. They tend to share, tasking each other on a compulsive level of how much each person must bring.

Sometimes people sale their property just to meet up with the compulsary financial burial demands and obligations, thereby creating rooms for competition, harsh exchange of words some can go as far as fighting one another when they may not be able to meet up with the target.

By this instructions my senior uncle gave in those series of meetings, many of us, i and all of my siblings, our aunties and uncles began sending suitable amounts of money into just one account that was provided for it and that warranted a very successful and easy burial for my own mother. I was totally happy, thankful and also crying because i never wanted her dead by now, though she was eighty plus.

These are the benefits of this practice intentionally as my family is doing...."Blood is thicker than water". It's working for us and in my family. It has some benefits. We respect each other, we have peace, we are still together even though adults. None of us is earger to abandon this teachings from our parents.

I know also that there's a school of thought that believe that blood is only a bond as relations, they believe that only those who respect them, helps them, trust them and compliment them are their family. Their reasons being that some toxic family members are not their family but an ordinary relatives, yes one has to protect your mental health, but it all depends on the gravity of their toxicity.

In conclusion, this idomatic expression has been working in my family even after the death of our parents. I'm glad they planted this huge resources into us from childhood, we are benefitting from it now.

This is my response to;

"Blood is thicker than water"....an idiom that basically put, means; our personal relations and the things we do. Are less important than family. Do you agree? If not ...why not? If you do agree, how has this idiom brought you thoughtfulness in your family relationship?.

Thank you for coming along with me, keep coming.

All pictures here belongs to me, captured with my Tecno spark 8 phone camera.

@ijebest.

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