Family: tradition, plans, and retirement!

What’s to talk about when the day’s just getting cozier by the day!

Hello everyone, it’s a gloomy Sunday today and tomorrow is another blue Monday? Hopefully not. Starting a week with a lot of thoughts about relationships, I am grateful for knowing about other cultures.

Ours

Our society is ok with women who choose to be single their whole life but… They’ve been bugged by their parents and relatives or even friends to make up their minds and find a man to be with forever! Surely that happens! On a daily basis? Yes! Whenever they find chance and convenience. Family is part of our tradition and making one as you grow older is expected.

Generally, they say for a brighter future. Honestly, many opted to go online and find some foreigners to be their behalf. This is encouraged as they thought foreigners are financially better than our local boys… But our generation is better to think of working their butt out before they’d do that.

Call it pride? Hmmm, I think it’s better to think of it as reservations since not all have good experiences marrying a foreigner. There are lucky but there is also a lot not so lucky.

Family

Our culture is traditionally family close-knitted and there are comments saying about children being their parent's retirement plan! Well, there is a truth to that but…

To explain it, our workers work so damn hard but aren’t really paid high. The monthly salary could really barely keep up with the bills so much more with a few more mouthfuls to feed. So, we are adequate in most situations. But, luckily though we have an attitude that makes us the way we are. Happy despite the difficult situation where sometimes we are sharing rooms with our children or our children are sharing rooms as many cannot afford a bigger place with few more room. Even sharing garments, as one grows bigger, pass them on to the younger siblings until it can no longer be worn.

As the eldest grows older and graduates, it is true that parents do obligate them to help. But being the 2nd eldest in the family, I was happy to lend a hand and helped my younger siblings to go to school and graduate. I couldn’t bare looking back and didn’t help them find better jobs by graduating. One good thing though, they all graduated and I think of it as an appreciation of our efforts. Though not many parents and eldest child are lucky to have siblings who appreciate their efforts as many threw it away and chose to rebel, -early pregnancy!

My household

I am fighting to keep my household together and I am happy with the results. I may not be able to give them everything they asked for but they are healthy and coping with “life” as we call it. I am growing old and I cannot say I’ve prepared a good future for them because I give them everything.

They are boys so part of life I want them to earn for themselves. One is to be a man enough to take responsibility for their actions, including sex and relationships – not just finances. If I do die, insurance from work and social security will be able to hold up for them until their of legal age. Until then, I worry less.

Retirement?

I am still working on it as challenges are really challenges. I didn’t know raising kids will incur such bankruptcy. But I will not be a burden to them, which is why I already made my point clear about our priorities. Right now, health is an overall concern and I don’t want to waste resources on health issues so I am taking steps to slowly address this one.

I really don’t know how another household manages their affairs but seriously, my retirement is retirement from a world where my medical expenses shouldn’t be an issue for them. I’d like them to earn to do their thing. If they’re kind and generous, I’ll gladly accept the gifts.

Thank you for reading and happy Sunday to all! ‘til next time.

May 5, 2022
Image: pinterest