SC-S29/W4- Nostalgia Of The Liitle Me : People Who Shaped My Childhood

What can I say if not “thank you Lord” for surrounding me with strong, elegant, vibrant, smart, well calculated, amazing, beautiful, bold, and spirit filled mother who made sure my childhood was worth the while.

Who is the person (or people) that shaped your childhood the most?

My parents shaped my childhood, but I hold it out to my mom because she was 24/7 present. My dad was always working and comes home late, even though my mom worked, she saw us her children as priority.

Being the only girl child gave my mom so much interest in me. She spent her time in advising, praying, and leading me. When my mom was shaping me, I'd thought she was been wicked to me because she flogged and gave me so much punishments. I was confused at a time if she was my mother because it was too much on me.

But as I continued to grow, I began to understand what she was doing. I began to have clarity that she needed me to be a better child in the future. Afterall, you need to train up a child in the way she should go, so that when she is old, she won't depart from it.

What is your earliest or most memorable memory with this person?

My most memorable memory with my mom was eating and cooking moments. My mom is a foodie and she passed it unto me. My mom during her leisure hour would always seat with some plates of meat or african salad with a cool beer to go with. I am always available but my mom would share amongst I and my siblings but for the beer, she would give me a drop from it and wondered why she won't give me a large quantity.

During cooking, she would always give me some washed smoked fishes or cooked meat.to taste for salt and while in the cooking process she would put a little in the plate for me to taste for salt. Pounding pepper was what she would always assign me to do until one day the pepper entered my eyes, that was the last day I pounded pepper.

How did this person guide, support, or discipline you during childhood?

When we talk about a disciplinarian, supporter, or a guardian, that's my mom, she does wonders to these.

Did you know in my school, I mean school not class, I kept winning prizes for the neatest pupil for over 3 years, this shows how devoted my mom was in supporting me and my siblings. Each time I return from school, my mom searches our school bags and rearrange our books and ask for our homework to help us with them especially, mathematics.

Ah, my mom was so good at maths that even other children brought their homework to our hoise to be helped by my mom. Whenever I say I won't eat what was cooked in the house, I should be ready to sleep hungry because my mother will not give me any alternative. I will just have to drink water to bed.

I was my daddy's little princess but was my mom's soldier because I man her shop, go to the market and still cook when it's time. She was so strict with me and made sure I do the laundry and clean the house every saturday.

Every morning, she wakes us for morning devotion. I would always lead the praise, and prayer but each one of us must recite a bible verse every morning. Till date, I have never forgotten those bible verses.

What values, habits, or lessons did you learn from them?

I learnt cleanliness, unity and love from my mom. My mom was so clean to the core that every weekend, she had to sit down to cut our finger and toe nails, clean our ears with buds. I was little then but very observant. I would say that my mom is obsessed with cleanliness and till date, hmm I am what I am.

Unity and love was what binded us as a family. We ate from the same plate as family and played together at all times. She taught my siblings and I that “united we stand, and divided we fall.” I have never forgotten this saying of my mom till date, it always ring a bell to me.

Her peaceful nature is something worth emulating. I learnt to be peaceful from my mom but not to her extent because I saw the way she was treated by people and family because of that nature and decided not have it all but a little. I have learnt so much from my mom which has helped me live wwll today.

How does their influence still reflect in your life today?

Today, I thank God for having crossed path with my mom. I bless God for letting me do life with her and still. She has influenced me in little ways that still speak in my life.

I wouldn't have been a lover of kitchen if she had not taught me so well,maybe my dishes would be tasteless. People see me and wonder where I got the cleanliness habit from, I just hope they meet my mom one day, that would answer that question.

Ya, I did not mention taking good care of children, OMG my mom was the mother of all. Neighbours brought their babies to our house for my mom to take care while they go to work and this got a huge influence on me that today, I love children, and taking care of them gives me peace.

Those moments were memorable and it was worth remembering!

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I invite @pandora2010 @nevlu123 @lovinah