LETTER TO THE PARENTS OF TODAY’S YOUTH

Dear Elders of our land, I greet you. 

I very much doubt the fact that you have a facebook account and if you do then I wonder who your facebook friends are especially if you choose to use your present picture. This few words may not show up on your wall because you are not my friend or the friend of my friend but it will show up somewhere near you.

I say these words to you because I understand to a good extent, the youth of this generation, reason being that I encounter them every single day, online and offline. I eat with them, talk and chat with them, laugh and joke with them and most importantly I have lived more than two (2) decades in the body of one of them.
They do not want you to dictate to them yet they wouldn’t want to be misguided. They want to showcase their foolery and yet not be called fools. They want to ‘live life’ and still become responsible. They are not confused. They are youths.

They desire the good things of life effortlessly but need to be disciplined to achieve them. They normally wouldn’t appreciate how much you invest in them until it’s their turn to invest in others. They may not value your presence but they need it. They may not understand love but they deserve it in quantum. They could tell you lies and tell secrets to their friends. They are not bad people. They are youths.

They have heard of God but would barely seek him without influence. They learn by watching not really by hearing. They listen to all the wrong songs you can think of and watch all the “don’t watch” videos that exist. They are smarter in doing wrong than right. They are not possessed. They are youths.

They love to impress and get attention without laboring for it. They would rather be ‘high’ than sober. They could ditch education for glamour. They would grow excited over the act of doing something risky rather than something routine. They could be wild with the wrong clique and gentle with right company. They could easily be influenced for good and equally for bad. They are not scope-less. They are youths.

These same youths can break down the most complex algorithm. They are the ones that banks and private companies always employ, not for experience but dexterity and shear youthful vigour. They can crack the funniest jokes and make the world go round. They can learn and handle the most complex programming languages and mechanical engines. They can solve intricate mysteries and allay the most daunting fears. They can undertake the impossible and bring out possibilities. They can think a little and develop unrivalled models. They can project to unknown futures and solve present situations. They can fast the longest, run the fastest, go the farthest, think the deepest, imagine the unimaginable and even do the unthinkable. They are not superhuman, they are youths.

When you think the youth you are blessed with is a curse, you think wrong. When you imagine that the one in your house is a liability rather than an asset, you imagine wrong. When you conclude that they are burdens, then you become one to them. When you fear for their course and then limit them with your own fears, you kill their spirits.
Let them play as they can but monitor the toys. Let them swim freely but wear your own swimsuit because you might become a lifeguard. When they are asleep, pray them ahead to good lands. When they are away, call them with a sense of love and cautious undertone. When they are near, be nearer.
Never think for once that your investments are a waste. Don’t ever assume you have the worst package. Just believe in them. Pray for them. Love them wholeheartedly. Do not compare them with others. Complement them openly and noticeably. Chide them lovingly but firmly. Do what you want them to do. Say what you expect them to do. They are God’s Children, you are their caretaker. Present them not to give yourself a good name and show your breeding skills but that God would be glorified. Nurture them well so that even in death, you will still mean the world to them and your epitaph will prove your life’s worth to them who yet live. They love you as much as you expect but they have to be themselves. They are youths.

They live in the same time zone but exist in another. They have their standards, codes of conduct, unwritten constitutions and unspoken etiquettes. Theirs may not tally with yours. They are youths.

If you must flow with them, then be with them. If you must influence them, then love them more. If you must overcome their frivolities then overlook your ego. If you must get them out water then be prepared to get wet. Whatever good you do for them, you do right. Your cautions may go unheeded but never unheard. Never give up on them because they are youths.

They are on a journey. They need fuel whether they realize it or not. They need to know when they arrive and that’s the major reason you are there.If they ever arrive at their destination, even if you died showing them the way, they would know that they had a map and without your guidance, they would have be lost all the time. Take heart, dear elders. They wouldn’t change in your time but with time they would change. They are youths.

I write you this letter to bring to your remembrance the fact that the youth you have so faithfully groomed will turn out well if only you believe in them. No matter how bad it gets. Don’t give up. They are not the best yet, they will get there with more effort and grooming. Please just do you best. They are youths.

Yours sincerely,
The One that lives in one of them

NB: you who is reading would be the elder in few years to come