Our family, upbringing, and society all play a significant role in shaping who we become. This is why it is important for a child to grow up in a good environment. Let’s use two kids who grew up in different backgrounds as a case study. One of the kids grew up in a well-respected family where the parents truly care about taking good care of the children; teaching them values and reprimanding them whenever they make mistakes. On the other hand, the other kid grew up in a family where the parents are hooligans who would often fight with each other. The former will get accustomed to positive traditions while the latter will get accustomed to negative traditions that they will carry into other aspects of their life. I grew up in the western part of Nigeria and one of our popular proverbs is “what a child learns inside is what they will carry outside/ what a child learns inside is what they will reflect on the world.” This means the traditions that a child learns from the family will become a part of them.
For this week’s India United prompt, the community asks us an interesting question. What is a tradition or ritual that means a lot to you? What are the things you have learnt from your parents, siblings, or friends that have become a part of you? I grew up in a well-respected Christian home. Growing up, the first thing that mattered the most to my parents was the Christian faith and they made sure they passed it on to us. They joked about other things, but when it came to matters about our faith and religion, they took it seriously. No one ever dared to cross the line.
A tradition that means a lot to me is praying. As I mentioned, growing up, faith was never treated lightly by my family. Praying has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. From when I was a kid, praying was something we did every day. We prayed every night before bed and every morning when we woke up. The memories of those days are still fresh in my head. Night prayers were always interesting. Most times, my cousins would be over. So we would sing together, beat drums and pray. Morning prayers on the other hand, were a struggle. We prayed very early in the morning and you know that is when sleep is always “sweet.” My mom would sprinkle water on our faces, and sluggishly, we would gather around to pray.
Praying together every night and morning was not just an obligation for us, it was a tradition. It was and still is a part of me. It is a way to express gratitude to our creator. It is also a way we ask for more blessings. Even when I was in school, I still made sure I carried out this tradition, although not as religiously as I did when I was younger. There are times when the spirit will be willing but the body will be weak. On days like this, I say a short prayer. We believe that if you do this wholeheartedly, it is better than not praying at all.
This is my entry to the Indiaunited prompt. The topic is: A Tradition or Ritual That Means a Lot to you:
You can find it here
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Thanks for reading.