Family and Christmas

Today's Christmas. It's a bit sedate and tranquil here. I'm with my family in the city of Ibadan. My dad isn't here with us. He'd be around by the weekend. My sisters are really making me proud. They just fixed that chicken by themselves and preparing the Christmas meal! I guess everyone is just growing up. You know what it feels like to be the only guy and the first child. Too much for someone to carry many times but a great deal of encoragement to face the bigger challenges in life.

Yesterday I wrote about friendship and people generally. Today, I write about family. I woke up about two hours ago to finish a movie I started yesterday night; "This Christmas". What a coincidence? Never mind me. I've had this movie for two months now, or thereabout. I hadn't just had time to see it, so what a better time than the Christmas eve/ the d-day itself. 

Aside, I'm thanking to God for PHCN. There seems to be some improvement in the power supply. I guess my prayers were answered. I got home to some near constant electricity supply, courtesy of a rich guy in my hood who got PHCN to fix a transformer right in front of my parents' house and glam, so is it! So, I could afford the luxury to watch the movie.#

"This Christmas" is a drama. I love Drama. It's so real, and something you'd identify with. I identify with Ma Dea Whitler's (Loretta Devine) family. It's a real African American family whose foundation (I mean the father) is long gone to the throes of divorce, but getting by with the help of another man, Ma Dea's new man. Quite a wonderful father figure, he was able to bring in Quitin, the family's eldest child; and quite a strong head himself. It's just a wonderful family. The story basically is about MaDea Whitler's family, and all its members coming home for the Christmas Celebration. 

Of course, typical of any family, the Whitler's family has its problems, collective and individual ones. It's a family strongly in need of a foundation (a family head), a mentor, someone to look up to. So much, Ma Dea wanted Quitin to be, but the guy won't just take responsibility. Regina King (can't remember her character name again) was having problems with her hubby. He's cheating on her after sacrificing everything for him; a college degree, a career, and catering for two lovely kids. She was angry when her sister pointed this out to her. It's a great lesson on dealing with one's problems and getting it sorted out! She's really angry and it's just deepening how she dealt with it. Her sister's a show biz person with a blossoming career out of town, but lonely inside. MaDea once told her, "your career won't keep you warm at night". Chris Brown's character is the youngest child in the house who's passionate about music but Madea won't allow another Quitin in her house who refused to take responsibilities. So is the story of this wonderful family at home for Christmas. There were confrontations, serious issues to be dealt with. Vetting out of anger, hatred, emotions, love, concern, worries et al against and for each other. So much outpouring of emotions. They all need healing collectively and individually.

Healing did come. Regina King dealt with her husband, tricked him into the bathroom and gave him the beating of his life! The sister found love with Mekhi Phifer and invited him to New York to come and visit her. Quitin learnt to take responsibility and came back after a merry-go-round back to his family. Madea Whitler later learnt to let her ex-husband go and accepted the new guy in her life as the mender of her broken heart. The other brother, God I forgot this guy's name in "Safe the Last Dance II", and "Stomp the Yard", reunited with her just married, white girl after a stint in detention over going AWOL from the Army. It's such a healing at Christmas.

Honestly, I can't but ponder over my own family as well. Unlike Quitin, I've learnt to take on responsibility at a young age and always loving of my two beautiful sisters. My family isn't where I've always anticipated it to be. Though a small family of five (father, mother and three children), it's constantly on a rocking oxen, galloping on a pot-hole ridden road, enhanced by my pop's financial status. But I'm hopeful. The pain of yesterday can in no way be compared with the blessings of tomorrow. It's so incomparable!

I love my family, and I look forward to those images where we'll all gather around the table with so much foods et al, probably with my sister's children and mine, and our spouses passing food across the table on a Christmas in any location on the face of the earth. Then we as a family can then look back at our travails and challenges and give glory to God. I believe it, so I crave and pray for a long life and prosperity for my parents and so much love in my family. 

May the good Lord give us the serenity to pass through this phase so we can better appreciate the riches when they come and live peacably with, and appreciative of one another.

I guess the Rice and Chicken is almost done.

Merry Christmas