Children are not their parents' pension

Dear Pastor,

My mother had six children and she used to refer to us as her 'pension'. I wish Jamaican parents would stop thinking of us as their pension.

Children are not your investment or assets. That’s why at a certain age parents are no longer responsible for children and they won’t go to prison if they say no to their adult children.

I’m a single mother of two children. I work hard and support my children by myself. One has to remember what the Bible says a man should do.

“A man should leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife.” I want to tell fathers that not because their children are living abroad means that they are rich and in the position to support them financially.

Perhaps  these people have families of their own and supporting their parents would deprive their children of their needs. And, pastor, that would be a sin to deprive their children. Don’t you think so?

Yes, I believe children should help their parents if they are in a position to help. I just want Jamaicans to  know  that  most  children  help out  of  the  goodness of  their  hearts  and  not  because  they  are  obligated.

Parents, remember you are responsible for the future and not your children. After all, we now have our own family to think about as well as our own future to prepare for.
M.B.

Dear M.B.,
I can say without reservation that you are not a good daughter. And the very tone of your letter indicates that you do not feel obligated at all to assist your parents financially, and, you should be ashamed of yourself. 

I am not saying that parents should consider children as their old age pension. But, children ought to be taught that the responsibility of taking care of their parents who may be unable to fend for themselves are the children’s responsibility.

And, it is a curse upon children not to support needy parents. So, I say to you without apology, shame on you if you turn you back on your parents. You are bringing a curse upon yourself.

Yes, it is true that some parents were careless. They had too many children and they did not save anything for old age. But, some spent all that they had on their children.

On the other hand, there are some parents, some good for nothing fathers and mothers too, who did not support their children and even abandon them.

And, in their senior years, they look to these very children to support them. Such parents are foolish and may suffer as a result of what they did to these children.

But, let it be known that children should not allow their parents to suffer. To do so, I repeat, is to bring curse upon themselves.
Pastor