MY FAMILY

From Drew.


Most of us were born alone, except of course twins. We spend nine months living alone in our mother's womb but the moment we come out, announcing our arrival with a cry, we begin to live with others.

We are introduced to a family that is supposed to protect us and care for us.

My name is Andrew Tetteh but you can call me Drew. Growing up for me was a little away from the ‘normal’ well, like I tell my friends; I don't come from a ‘normal’ family. It's not that my family is crazy or something but my family history's is not what most of my friends have.

Ever since I knew who I was and had a fair idea of our existence as human beings (eight or nine years old), I have never lived under the same roof with my entire nuclear family for more than three weeks before. It is either with my brothers and/or with either one of my parents.

At school my friends talk about their family and certain things they share, they speak so highly of the “family bond” but I realized I had no clue as what my family had in common apart from our names and our bloodline. I wished then that I will one day experience the same thing they talk of. This was way back in primary, fast forward to present day university graduate and I have not yet experienced the so called family togetherness or bond.

The interesting thing here is that I'm not complaining and more so I wasn't craving for that experience. In the end my realization is that my friends have their family story and I also have mine, which is unique to me and my family.

It wasn't that my family didn't have a story or was not 'normal' as I believed it to be, but the fact was that we did have a story. It was not a story of us living in one big house together but a rich story of us living physically apart from each other yet staying together because of love and respect. Yes my family is a normal family. It is our normal, besides who defines what is a normal family?

Living in the same house is a good thing, but if you don't have that it does not warrant complaining about not having a good family. What is most important is love amongst you, this I learned from my dad Richard Botchway, Agatha Botchway my mum, Nathaniel Tetteh Snr, Benard Tetteh, Micheal Tetteh, Kingsford Tetteh and Nathaniel Tetteh Jnr my five big bully brothers. I hope they will not read this else I will not get a gift on my next birthday; March 25.

I have been to college, finished successfully and I could not have done this without the help of my family.

One thing I have learned is that every family has a story, a unique one for that matter and there is no way you can have the same family experience as that of your friend. The most important thing is to find ways to make your family work. It took me twenty three years of searching to get this answer.

I hope yours ends here.

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