Family Matters
So here’s the thing…
Before Corona showed up on the scene, our families may not have been the most important thing on our minds. Work and our own personal conflicts and situations probably took center stage, leaving family members competing for our attention. But now in the midst of the holiday season, during a time of social distancing and quarantining, we may find ourselves yearning for those very people we often neglected.
This poem serves as a reminder of the instrumental role families play in our survival and our success. I hope you enjoy it.
Until we speak again…Smooches
It started with Adam and Eve.
Placed on earth to give birth to generations of you and me.
Even before the fall
God had ordained it all,
these two would be fruitful and multiply.
Why?
Because family matters.
Man was not designed to be alone,
she was pulled from his side so they could build a home
together.
And then,
even in their sin,
the two of them
remained as one.
He and she begat Cain and soon after came Abel.
Now even though covenant was something Cain did not understand
and Abel was murdered by his hands,
Cain was still his brother’s keeper.
You see, family is deeper
than what so many think.
Family is...
Described as a group of individuals that fellowship with one another
who share common attitudes, interests, and goals
with their sisters and brothers,
one back watching the other.
Hands extending from every direction
to offer support, help, and even protection.
Yes,
it does take a village to raise a child.
Aunties and uncles with no biological ties
keeping watchful eyes
on our children
because we can’t always be everywhere
every second, minute, and hour
and the enemy is roaming seeking who he may devour.
Our seed is what he is after
and every generation thereafter
so, we must work together
to stand on common ground.
And let me whisper a word of caution to those
who adamantly oppose
others rebuking their children.
Mothers don’t get stiff-necked
when words are used to correct Little Johnny or Sweet Caroline
because a lot of the time
whether we are willing to admit it,
our parenting isn’t working
and it’s time that we fix it.
Our children can be out of order, out of control, and things can get out of our hands,
and society isn’t always eager to understand our individual circumstance, whatever it may be.
Therefore, it’s my belief that if love and wisdom is administered with their words,
we should welcome and allow a neighbor’s voice to be heard.
Sometimes others can do what we simply cannot.
Sometimes our children aren’t the only ones that need to be taught.
Family Is...
Oftentimes looking into a mirror is not an easy feat,
there are negative attributes that we often see,
and what may be difficult for us adults
is even more challenging for a child,
so it’s up to us to point out their qualities
that make them feel worthwhile.
Even further, we must encourage what we don’t see,
faithfully speaking those things
into existence
until even they’re convinced
that no one is better, brighter, or more talented than them.
It is important that we understand
that a boy with a poor self-image
will become an insecure man
settling for so much less than he has to,
all because he was never told there were greater things he could do.
And what about our daughters?
It’s frequently said
the first man a girl falls in love with is her daddy.
The seeds that he plants, over time will grow
and every man after him will reap what he’s sown.
That’s why it’s imperative for real men
to step in
and validate their daughters,
affirming their beauty, intelligence, and worth.
Fathers don’t leave to chance
for a young man with low or fitted pants
to school her with lust’s lessons.
Using false flatteries and manipulative strategies
to obtain her most prized possession.
Equip. Her. Now.
So, she can be
prepared
and unequivocally aware
of who and whose she is.
Family is...
From the beginning of time
God assigned
each of us to the ones we call mother and father.
Inevitable disagreements and fights
about who’s fair, wrong, or right
constantly plague our households.
Older siblings bullying every day,
younger siblings getting in the way.
And then there’s that aunt, uncle, or cousin
that no one likes to mention
because of their destructive past and not so good intentions.
Each of these members form our family tree,
every branch, every limb, and every leaf.
And herein lies the difficulty;
learning to accept who our family is,
learning to accept that we’re not the Cosby kids
living on 10 Stigwood Avenue
in a beautiful brownstone with a New York view.
Doctors and lawyers may not hang from our family tree,
nor musicians, or professional athletes,
in fact
there may lack
any type of occupational prestige,
and that’s really okay.
For we are to love the family we’ve been given
no matter how crooked or straight they’re living.
We are to honor our parents,
despite their dishonorable ways
because it pleases God
and lengthens our days.
So…
while no family is ever perfect,
every family is worth it
For family is love.
And love… Always. Matters.
Family is Love and Love is family!
Well written Tash!
Thanks for the support Tree, and thanks for allowing me to be a part of your family.