Between the baby and the mattress
There is this story that I once read in a book which formed the basis for this write up. Years ago, there was news of a burning building. The fire fighters came just in time to save the situation, a voice of a woman was heard screaming for help. She had a baby in her arm. Quickly a ladder was extended to the window where the woman was screaming for help. Immediately a safety net was assembled for the woman to let down the baby while she use the ladder to get herself down.
As expected, the woman let the child drop into the net. The child fell in unharmed. Then it was the woman turn to come down using the ladder. "Now, you come down the ladder" she was told. She became reluctant not wanting to get on the ladder. Then one of the fire fighters noticed that she was pulling a big mattress through the window which she held on to with one hand as she came down the ladder refusing to let it fall. It was learnt later that she had all her money in that mattress.
What does this story teaches you? Well, our sense value and who we really are is often revealed in similar situations, where we are pushed into letting go of some things and clinging to others. But the question here is what do you value most? It was clear from the story that the woman value her mattress more than the baby. She let the baby go without any hesitation or thinking about what might happen to the child. But she held on to her mattress even if she die in the fire.
Today, a lot of people are chasing one thing or the other 
without really thinking about what is really important. Men are chasing money at the espense of their family. And when the chips are down they found out that they have work for nothing. No one has time to be with family members to nuture love and commitment. As long as a man can pay school fees for the children, he feels satisfied that he is a father even when he hardly see nor talk to those children as it should be.
There must be a balance between the child and the mattress. The child here represent your love ones, especially your wife and kids, while the mattress represent your your interest outside your family. Will you let the child go into an unknown hands just to have time and freedom to pursue your interest. I have heard of cases where a mother let go her baby just so she can cling to her new found mattress without ever looking back.
It a shame for any man to choose the mattress (money) before the baby ( family). It also a shame for any woman to run after the mattress at the espense of her baby. I must commend here, some single mothers who though left alone, never let the baby drop in the hands of an unknown one. Such strive to make ends meet while raising the baby alone. Can you find such a woman? Let her children live to call her blessed
First published on read.cash on my authorship. https://read.cash/Fexonice1