Read everybody’s story. Quite touched. One family member, and the entire family suffers.
I’ll share my transition into adulthood before I change my mind. 2009 - last year in high school.
I was the only child, a few months younger than eighteen at the time when my father went into comma for three weeks after a severe head trauma. His health remained precarious long afterwards. Consequently, my mother suffered months of severe depression. Extended family backed out on us. The two of us had no financial support: initially lived off of dad’s savings. I was at the verge of switching schools because we could no longer afford it. My unfamiliarity of the real world was a result of me being cosseted all those years.
At the time, apart from his job my dad owned a gas station which he let his two stumbling cousins fully conduct and benefit from. I had to step in immediately in order to afford mother and myself. Nine hours a day along with school, just watching, accumulating, absorbing information in an attempt to learn its management. Continuously misguided by these two fraudulent men who had an aversion to me being there in the first place. Took me a while to get updated with the game. Unnoticeable cash withdrawal out of the depository safe, forged signatures, contradicting shift reports, cancellations of my stock transactions and other illicit activities were being carried out audaciously. I had to get rid of their employees and eventually requested them to step out of the business as now they were well enough established and needless of further financial reliance on my father. Didn’t take me seriously. Ultimately ended up attending multiple attorney appointments and court dates.
Home was a place of emotional chaos revolving around my mother’s continuous anger tantrums - nothing more. These were times we didn’t sleep for days, my mother had become numb. I was essentially on my own. Issues lined up one after the other.
It took months to settle down again but Allah sufficed us. As for personality changes, I became firm and decisive, learned how to keep focus towards work and studies in despite of emotional instability, was now able to balance priorities, unconsciously analyze people’s behavior and motive, disaffiliate myself from numerous family members, and basically underwent a spiritual revival as a result of gratitude.
At an extensive level, I learned to have Allah as my only succor at times of difficulty. Dependence on God maintains dignity, reliance on people does not.
Versatility is crucial - you never know when you’ll be involved in a situation requiring specific knowledge or a skill.
Investing in an alternative, side source of income other than your main job is worthwhile.
Appreciate your paternal figure before you end up with no choice but to execute his responsibilities.
Blood relations do not always guarantee probity or sincerity.