Obaa Yaa
Should I build for my mum/family?
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Dear Obaa Yaa,
Growing up, life has not been easy for my family, especially my mother. Both parents were famers, even when my daddy was alive, it was my mother who made sure we stayed in school.
I nearly gave up on life, but my mother was my pillar and source of inspiration. I nearly drop out of school because of school fees. Anytime I ask my dad for money, he always tells me he doesn’t have.
By the time I completed school and stood on my feet, she has sold all her assets and properties to put me and my siblings through school.
I am now married and doing so well. Daddy is no more. I have told her to relocate to the city so that I can take good care of her, but she has decided to stay in the village.
I am thinking I should invest my resources into building a spacious one bedroom self-contained house for her over there.
I discussed this issue with my wife and she is suggesting we build a family house so that my mother will come and stay in Accra.
Should I build my family house or mother’s house?
Benson, Sunyani.
Dear Benson,
It is very clear you have good intentions. However, prioritise building for your family first. Mummy is old and she needs to be catered for. She can come and stay with your family for some time until she moves to her newly furnished one bedroom.
When she moves in with you, it will lessen your financial burden. Continue to support your mother in the village, give her the best while you can, because she has made you who you are today.
Let your wife be in the known that, your mother will be staying with you. At least she can assist you in taking care of the children to ease some burden.
A CEO visited his office and saw a man who was scrolling through his phone while sitting on a sofa.
The CEO asked, “What are you doing?”
The man replied, “Wasting my time until I’ll get paid.”
The CEO was furious, “What is your weekly salary!?”
Man, “$1000”
The CEO counted $2000 and gave it to the man, “Take this money and get out! You don’t work here anymore!”
The man silently took the money and left.
CEO walked up to the reception, “By the way, who was this guy?”
The receptionist said, “Pizza delivery”.
I didn’t understand why my father abandoned me as a child until he appeared recently and told me my mom placed a curse on him.
I was about thirteen or fifteen, my mom took me to the front of a big house and told me that is where I belong.
I knocked the door and the man sacked me from the house to go back to my mother.
Life with my mother was very tough until God came through for me to gain a scholarship.
Years later, I’d returned from abroad when this man walked up to me apologising.
I take care of him and provide him with everything. He needs my attention but I doubt if he will get that from me because he didn’t take care of me.
Jojo, USA.
Dear Jojo,
This is such a heart breaking story. No child deserves to grow up wondering why a parent was absent or feeling abandoned.
If your father’s explanation is true, the responsibility for leaving you still rests with him. A curse, fear, or conflict with your mother may explain his decisions, but it does not excuse abandoning his child.
Parents have a duty to love, protect, and remain present in their children’s lives, regardless of the problems between them.
Now that he has returned, it is reasonable to listen to what he has to say, but you do not have to accept everything without question. Ask him honest questions about why he stayed away for so many years, why he never tried to reach you, and what he hopes to achieve by reconnecting now. His willingness to take responsibility for his choices is more important than the explanation he gives.
At the same time, try not to carry the burden of your parents’ conflict. Whatever happened between them was their issue, not yours. You were an innocent child who deserved the love and presence of both parents.
If you choose to rebuild a relationship with your father, let it happen gradually. Trust is earned through consistent actions, not just words. If you decide not to have a close relationship with him, that is also your right. Forgiveness, if you choose it, should be for your own peace of mind, not because you are obligated to overlook the pain you experienced.
Most importantly, remember that your worth was never determined by your father’s absence. His choices reflect his decisions, not your value as a person.
The past cannot be changed, but how you respond now can help you find healing and peace.
