WEEK 2
 

My Family Culture

 

A major catastrophe has almost completely devastated the infrastructure of your country. The emergency government has decided that the surviving citizens will be best served if they are evacuated to other countries willing to take refugees. My immediate family and I are among the survivors of this catastrophic event. However, I have absolutely no input into the final destination or in any other evacuation details and also told that the host country’s culture is completely different from your own, and that I might have to stay there permanently. I am also further told that, in addition to one change of clothes, I can only take 3 small items with me. So I decide to take three items that I hold dear and represent my family culture.

 

The three items I would take are:

1. My Quran which represent my faith (Islam)-pocket size        

2. My father’s book of proverbs (a small mini-book)

3 .A Shawl given to me by my mother-in-law

As a Muslim the Quran serves as guidance to my way of life. Religion is an important aspect of my family culture and we are made to understand the content and purpose of the Quran early in my family. I always carry it with me; I guess it would be my first items, so that I can always make reference to it wherever I find myself

My father’s book of proverb is a reminder of how beautiful my culture is, I love the language and the way the words are expressed .I would want it as a reminder of where I come from

A shawl given to me by my mother-in-laws; which is a gift of motherhood. Being a mother is one of my greatest joys and my culture really celebrates it. The husband’s mothers are meant to keep this shawl for their son’s wife and be given to them when they are pregnant. This would be a reminder of the similarities in the culture of my husband and me, and also how motherhood is appreciated in my culture

If upon my arrival, I am told to choose one, I would choose my Quran to guide me through the new journey in my life. I would be unhappy for leaving those other two items that reminds me of some other important aspect of my culture

This goes to show that culture is our way of life which cannot be separated from who we are, if we are forced to leave it, it makes us feel incomplete. We need to let people hold on to what they believe and attach so much importance if we truly want the best for them