What is my obligation to my family?

(Wang Lung and O-Lan)

In the novel The Good Earth the main character, Wang Lung is depended upon by his family. He is in charge of making the big decisions for his family  and determines the fate of their lives. When times are tough during the harvest season and there is no signs of life in the field, his family depends on him to provide food for them. However, even though Wang Lung is depended upon by his family, his wife, O-Lan, is depended upon just as much. She helps Wang Lung in the fields and cooks the food in the kitchen. She and Wang Lung are the centerpieces to their family. They each have their own obligation to their family.

(My family)

Having known that Wang Lung and O-Lan each have their own responsibility to their family, it made me ponder, what is my responsibility to my family right now? Is it to take care of my little sister, get good grades, do my chores, etc… what is it? As a teenager I may have times when I think it is all about me and that the world revolves around me. I may not think that at that moment but it happens. That’s what it is like being a teenager, you get these crazy thoughts that may or may not be true. But after reading the novel The Good Earth it made me realize, even more, my responsibility and obligation to my family. I must get grades, take care of my little sister, do what my parents say, and most of all make the right decisions so that I can better my future and take care of my family in more ways than ever  Being the oldest child, you have a lot more responsibility towards your family. Your parents definitely expect a lot more from me. Some people don’t like being the oldest because they can’t handle the expectations their parents put on them. Even though it may be tough sometimes, I like being the oldest because it shows that my parents trust me and I can handle the expectations. This will make me a better man in the future because I will have more experience and responsibility than my younger siblings.

Another thought that came to my mind when reading The Good Earth, what will I do when my parents are gone? Growing up my mom always told me to be nice and take care of my little sister because you never know when they will be gone. If my parents are gone how will I take care of my little sister and younger cousins (who live with me)? Being the oldest child, I am constantly being looked at by my younger siblings. Whether I know it or not, I am making a huge impact on their lives because I am the oldest. My mom always tells me to make good decisions because my little sibling will follow in my footsteps. Knowing this, it is my responsibility to make good decisions so that my sibling have a good role model to follow. A lot of troubled kids today are troubled because growing up they didn’t have a role model. A lot of these kids have parents leaving them as a child or being bullied. They couldn’t find any other way to cope with their problems without resorting to violence. Even though I am lucky to have 2 loving and caring parents to take care of me and my family, I must be that 3rd person to inspire my younger siblings to be great. And if my parents are gone, my siblings have another person to look up to.

My ultimate goal in life is to say that I made my parents proud. Knowing all what they did for me and paying it back will be the greatest feeling. All I have to do is focus on my studies and take care of my younger siblings. Even though it sounds easy, I know it is going to be a journey of hardship and struggles. It sounds like I’m doing this all alone but really I’m not. With the help of my friends and family I can make this happen. Reading The Good Earth really made me have a new perspective on life and appreciate the little things that my family does for me. I believe that everyone should find out their own obligation and responsibility to their family. Even though the journey might be tough in the beginning, just remember that sometimes in life your going to start of slow, just remember to always finish fast. Being able to do this is my obligation to my family.

Sometimes in Life you start of slow, but your going to finish fast

~Apollos Hester