Personal Statement: Charity Begins at Home

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Personal Statement: Charity Begins at Home

The concept of "home” not only differs per geographical location but has changed considerably from what it used to be. The word has a different meaning when spoken in the African continent from what it means in the western world. In the African setting, when someone said he was going home, he was probably talking about hours of journey to meet an extended family. For the westerner, it may be a group of two to five. In simple terms, a single-family unit. Civilization has also had a fair impact on what the term has come to mean. In the past, people were more likely to travel home for festivities such as the Christmas holidays. But as the years went by, people have learned to be content -with wife and children or if you want, husband and children- in celebrating these occasions. This may be attributed to the demanding economic pressures that require less spending in the face of thorough planning.

It may be argued that advancements in transportation should have brought a facelift to traveling to celebrate with families. Yes. That is so. However, the gradual decline in the interest of people in such gatherings that were once held as "tradition” cannot be overlooked. Albeit faced with these changes serving or demeaning the interest of the term home, one cannot dispute that home is held as a place of joy, security, and self-discovery. These are the things owed to every home by an individual who considers herself apart.

People can bring joy or access the same in every home.  In her article titled Home, A Place of Joy, Knight suggests that "We can both bring joy into and draw joy from our homes”. Nothing could be farther from this. Call it an axiom if you like. However, every individual within the home setting owes it to the home to foster joy. Joy here does not imply a change reaction to celebrations or the suggestion of unending laughter and comfort. In the sense of the word, it may refer to that experience of a calm atmosphere in the face of divergent views; the settling of all controversies the goal that family comes first. After a hard day’s work, immanent with turbulences from every angle, one can run home – to a place of serenity- regardless of the painful or anguishing, or upsetting situations encountered at work knowing that it will provide some form of rejuvenation needed for the days ahead. The comforting thought of a home allows a person to expend himself in the bid to contribute to its soundness. Hence, not only does the home become a place of receiving joy, but also requires constant attention from every player in making it a haven for all.

Williams’ The Cost of Keeping Your Home Safe” indicates that in 2011, about $20.64 billion was what Americans spent on securing their homes. Noting that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the US was $15.54 trillion that same year, the expense made by households on security systems constitutes 1.328% of that year’s GDP (Statista). This value shows how much people place a premium on making their homes as safe as possible. It also speaks to the fact that people generally feel safer in their homes than in most places. Homes are increasingly becoming a fortress not just against physical attacks but also emotional abuse. For children especially, home is that place where they feel safe within the reach of their parents. A child who grows up within a proper home setting is likely to have a strong emotional build-up as compared to one who grew up on the streets. According to Hazell, research conducted by the University College London indicates that children who grow up in expensive homes are less likely to have emotional or behavioral defects in comparison to ones who do not have the opportunity to do so.

The joy and emotional security in the home create an atmosphere for self-discovery. The feeling of safety is the encouragement to reach one’s potential. The home in the face of joy becomes a place where one can express himself without fear of criticism or cynicism. People are less likely to create false versions of themselves in their homes than among their peers. Usually, in the bid to impress, people cultivate that personality that makes them presentable. For instance, a person who has the habit of screaming at home is likely to hide that trait when in the public domain. It is said that old habits die hard; however, it is daily killed for hours in the full glare of all and resurrected in our homes. Self-discovery is a part of the formative life of every individual. People who have been exposed to all the hardships out there without a place to express their emotions, thoughts, and aspirations are likely not to reach their potential.  Rather, these are likely to exhibit more destructive forms of behavior like excessive alcoholism, theft, and others (Ubaidi).

It is usually said of public officials that one must be able to keep her family in order to receive the moral backing of others. The argument is based on the notion that a man/woman who cannot keep a home is likely to perform poorly in keeping the public interest. This rests on the belief that the home is the basic unit of every society. It is the first place of socialization anyone is ever exposed to, if not left to the mercilessness of the streets. A home is a place of social order. The many homes that have been honed into units of social responsibility are what reflect the growth and stability of every nation. There may not be successful nations without successful homes. Every nation is called home by some millions.

Every day, people continue increasing their investments in their homes – whether to raise proper children or to have a clean financial sheet. All that people do is geared towards making the home a haven. People expect their homes to exude some form of life that keeps everything in balance in the face of forces like economic pressures, wars, and others. Geographical implications and factors introduced by modernity have largely influenced what we now call home. However, the argument as to whether what we call home is the structure or the occupants still does little to undermine the fact that the home is becoming a place where people are focusing their resources to make joyful, safer, and self-discovering and thus speaking to the point that charity begins at home.  

 

References

1. Hazell, Will. "Children Growing Up In Expensive Homes Have Fewer Emotional And Behavioural Problems". Inews.Co.Uk, 2020, Accessed 14 Mar 2021.
   
   
2. Knight, Danielle. "Home, A Place Of Joy - Little With Great Love". Little With Great Love, 2020,   Accessed 14 Mar 2021.
   
   
3.  Statista. "U.S. GDP 1990-2019 | Statista". Statista, 2021, Accessed 14 Mar 2021.