Obaa Yaa
My mother is misbehaving
Dear Obaa Yaa,
I am 26 and I live in the same house with my mother who is becoming annoying. She doesn’t do anything at home and she is not making things easier for me either. She doesn’t give me room to communicate with her. She wakes up, eats her breakfast and leaves for work.
Lately, she appears to be very forgetful. Many a time, she would leave food on the stove and forget that she has left something there until the food gets burnt. When l complain she insults me.
This behaviour of hers seems to be getting worse. She has refused to take any advice too. I am worried. Is there anything I can do?
Vivian, Nkawkaw.
Dear Vivian,
You did not state your mother’s age but it appears she may be entering into another phase of her life. It may not be her fault. About her becoming forgetful, she may be suffering from dementia or other neurological condition. You can help her seek medical attention.
Talk to her on her calm or happy days and don’t react when she does anything that upsets you. Remain vigilant when she leaves anything on fire so that she doesn’t end up burning down the house.
Again, do your best to help her with some tasks, and get closer to her more as she may eventually open up about her challenges.
Obaa Yaa
Dad says he won’t pay my fees
Dear Obaa Yaa,
I am facing a big problem which is threatening my education and life as well.
I am in my last year in secondary school but my father is threatening to stop paying my school fees for reasons I cannot disclose.
I am appealing through you to any person or organisation to come to my rescue to help me continue with my education.
I am ready for any job, be it a driver or houseboy. I am a worried person. Please help.
Benson, Accra.
Dear Benson,
You are ready to become a houseboy or a driver in someone else’s house and must be ready to do anything for your father to change his mind.
I suggest you go down on your knees and own up for what you have done and ask for his forgiveness.
Bear in mind that times are hard, not only in this country. Most people do not even get regular meals, so if apart from food and clothes, you are lucky to be receiving secondary education, then you have to be grateful to your parents and concentrate on your studies.
If you are still keen on continuing with your education, then go and tell the whole story to an elderly person and ask him to accompany you to your father and apologise.
Obaa Yaa
Pastors take too much money from members
Dear Obaa Yaa,
A FRIEND invited me to his church a few weeks ago and I was embarrassed at the way the priest demanded money from the congregation.
Will God bless such offerings extracted from church goers?
Etornam,
Volta Region.
Dear Etornam,
It is true that some churches demand money from their congregation. But it is also a fact that some of these churches uses these funds to build proper places of worship.
Utilities like water and electricity bills plus certain allowances or salaries of full –time workers in the church are also settled with this money.
Indeed if these money is put to proper use, it will enhance God’s work, and contributors would be blessed.
But if the money is misused, the people may think they are deceiving the congregation, but they cannot deceive God.