I Exemplars of good parents
Most parents are keen for their children to succeed in life. Two pairs of parents I have been privileged to know are exemplary. One is from Sri Lanka and the other from the Philippines. Both pairs arrived in London as refugees – their impossible circumstances causing them to leave their countries.
The father of children in one family has two part-time jobs – one in Tescos and the other in a BP garage. The mother looks after the home and holds down a part-time job. They have two daughters. Father works all hours of the day and night. When I last saw him it was at the BP garage from whether I sometimes buy my newspaper. It was early in the morning and he had just completed his night shift at Tescos.
I asked him how he was. He was beaming from one end of his face to the other. His older daughter had just secure an upper second class honours degree in Bio-Chemistry from the University of Kent and was on the cusp of embarking on a Masters degree. He proudly showed me on his I-phone pictures of her shaking hands with the Vice Chancellor at the awards ceremony. The younger daughter was waiting for her GCSE results. She sat for papers in 11 subjects and was expected to do very well. He has told his daughters: “I am unable to study for you or help you in your academic work, but what I will do is support you in every other way.” Both, the parents and the girls have heeded their father’s exhortations and flourished.
The father in the second pair works as a carer for someone with Parkinson’s disease. His wife does part-time domestic work too. They have three children – all girls. The eldest has just completed three successful years (out of five) to qualify as a doctor. She begins her practice – training in a hospital – in September 2016. The middle daughter completed her A Levels, in which she achieved top grades and began her university studies to qualify as a solicitor. The third, is 10 years old and doing well at school.
The parents have not bemoaned their fates. They have not blamed society for the adversity they have encountered. They have not claimed social benefit but worked hard. Most important of all, they have cared and been ambitious for their children – supporting and encouraging them in every way. They are outstanding models for all of us. Continue reading