Mom and Dad

Mom and Dad
By Lesego Sentle
Mom and Dad, Ma en Pa, Mama no u Baba, Mme le Ntate, Ma’olodie no Tima, those are the names we give to plausibly the most influential people in our lives. Our guardians.
They are the people who plague our insane teenage lives with their nagging, lectures and eternal punishment. The ones who will change going out with friends into kidnapping. The people who don’t believe that we are running to the store. They believe that we are going to arrange a drug-trade at the local shop instead.
I know that several of my peers would agree with me within a heartbeat. What if I told you that they had good reason to do so?
Put yourself in your parent or guardian’s shoes. Ever since your child’s birth, you have looked after them like your brand new GTI or new shoes. Every cut, bruise and scrape scared the living daylights out of you. You would fuss over every detail of their lives as they depended solely on you. Now the “bundle of joy” has grown and is interacting with the world. The world that you know as a big, dark, terrifying place. The overwhelming urge to protect them leads to impulses to do so.
As most of us should know by now(edit), being a parent is a difficult task. Most of us know what our parents go through. Several sacrifices to keep a smile on our faces, our stomachs full and future secure. Our parents may not show it, but it is taking a toll on them, one way or another.
We could at least(edit) try to make their lives easier. Unfortunately, you cannot buy your own groceries or pay your own tuition fees. Although you can do little things like complaining less and appreciating more. Helping out with the household chores more often or without being asked could also be a great idea. The occasional appreciation letter can do wonders for a parent. It may be possible that they could also put in a little more effort to understand you as a person, a teenager or young adult. Either way, being more appreciative to the people who made you who you are, in their presence or not can be a good thing. This is the process of becoming a good parent too.

Who Am I?
My name is Lesego Sentle I’m 16 years old I am sciences student at Ebenezer Maranatha Institute (Johannesburg, South Africa) doing Grade 11, I hope to pursue a career in Health Sciences. I am an avid reader. Deep thoughts about the world and life are a usual source of inspiration for me. Like most people my age I’m a hip hop fan. Another form of writing I enjoy is poetry.

SPEAKING OUT is for young people – an opportunity to express themselves in writing. Contributions in any form of writing should be sent to bunmimakinwa@hotmail.com