My mother was a teen parent. Growing up, my family and I
didn’t have much. I lived in public
housing in an area of the city where the crime rate is mid-range to high. I didn’t wear the latest clothes or have the
newest toys. There was not always a lot to eat and sometimes my mom would skip
meals in order for us to get second-helpings of dinner. Looking back, my two
sisters and I were faced with adversity at early ages! However, I can’t recall
any times in which I felt inadequate or less than. Though I grew up financially poor, I was
definitely showered with enough love and affection to feel rich. My mom made sure that we went to the circus
each year and that she took the time to bond with us. That is what I remember most about my
childhood experiences.
I believe that you are shaped by your experiences but you
also get to choose how those experiences will affect you. The consequences of
growing up in poverty would definitely be greater if I didn’t receive the love
that I needed to overcome my environment.
I have many friends that grew up in the same environment as me but they
didn’t have nurturing mothers to help them see past their situation. There are many people that were raised in
poverty who went on to achieve great success. When asked, most would probably
say that they wouldn’t change their childhood experiences for anything in the
world!
Poverty is widespread in Africa. Children are forced to drink water that is
often too contaminated for consumption. A lot of children wear tattered
clothing and no shoes. There isn’t an
abundant supply of food to go around and education is not freely given as it is
in other countries like the United States of America. However, family life is strong in
Africa. Though children face adversity
everyday, most of them manage to maintain smiling faces. I believe that such joy derives from the
strong bond and love of their families. Though the children don’t have much,
they have families that are full of love.
Poverty can be devastating. It may strip you of your pride
and make you develop a pessimistic attitude about the future. Poverty in the
physical sense is not chosen for children, it just happens. However, poverty of the mind is definitely a
choice. We either let our experiences define us or we can let our
experiences shape us.
Hi Gigi, It's good that you had a supportive mom who gave you the security that you needed even though you had stressors. Parents can sometimes make big things seem small to children when they have that unconditional love and support from their parents. It's sad what the children in Africa have to go through, it makes you realize just how blessed I really am. If I could save all children of the world who go through these type things I would do it.
ReplyDeleteGigi, I agree that experiences and how you deal with them shape who you become. And that it is every changing. I truly do believe that all that things that occur in ones life, good and bad, prepare us for the situation that crops up. We can't save every child from such horrible poverty, but I do believe if we can reach one child and make a difference in their life, it will have a ripple effect and with hard work and prayers we will be able to have a world where such harsh conditions are minimized. Sometimes we get desensitized when we hear over and over again about the poverty/famine in Africa when that should really call us to action.
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