On the 6th of this month, my boss and the team I work with were having a meeting about resuming work and some other pending jobs that hadn't been completed, but before we started the discussion, he asked everyone how their Christmas went. When it was my turn, I told him how I hang out with my cousins from my father's side, the places we visit, and going to my grandma's house to catch up on how everyone has been over the years, and he said something very important.
Whaoo, be grateful you have a united family like that, some people don't get to experience what you just experienced.
At that moment, I thought, "But everyone came from a family, and they surely would have cousins. While the thought was going through my head, I remembered the text I got from a friend on WhatsApp after posting a picture from my outing with my cousins.
She was quick to say "thank You" because I agreed with what she was saying. You see, no one will ever say that unless they have been bitten by the harsh sting of a negative family.
The place of family in one life is very important. A family is more than those sharing your surname or your residence; it is the holy ground where life starts and love grows. It is in unity that a family finds strength, not perfection, but in the harmony of its imperfections.
Unity in a family is like the strands in a tapestry- each unique, but woven together to form something whole and beautiful. It is laughter shared that mends the cracks of harder days, forgiveness that heals the wounds, and dreams together that give hope for tomorrow.
When closing the doors of a family, it becomes a safe place—a refuge in a world that often feels harsh. It is where burdens are shared, joys are multiplied, and no one stands alone. A family can face any storm together because unity is the shelter that guards against life's greatest winds.
The foundation of closeness in a family lies in the realization that love is not something limited; it increases with sharing. If we can ground each other in differences and strengths, we will leave an impact on time as a legacy of unity. It cannot just stop there; a family thrives in unity, and the bond becomes a guiding light for generations. I will share an experience with you and a lesson my dad told us.
My dad once said to us during our devotion
You all are siblings from the same father and mother meaning you are bloof. Do not let anyone come in between you all. You will grow and have your family one day but always remember the ones who were there for you before you had your own family. Don't let husband or wife come in between you all, love each other even when you have your own family. Take your brother's family as your own family because a family that is not united will fall apart.
Take a broom, for example. If you remove one of its sticks and try to break it, you will do it with little strength, but if you put all the sticks of the broom together and they bond together, even with your mightiest, you won't be able to break them because they are united.
We all held onto this lesson from my father, and this has kept us going in love ever since. I remember a day a boy beat my big sister; luckily for him, my big cousins who are guys were around for a visit. "Men mount." We all went there together, 6 boys and one girl, to show them not to mess with the Fash family. Ever since that day, people have respected us.
So if you are reading this and you are not from a family that is united, please be the one that will bring a change to the future generation. Groom them in love and let them know the importance of family; let them enjoy the privilege you did not enjoy, and show them how important it is to be united as one.
Thanks for reading. I am Fash Tioluwa.
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