The call of fatherhood.

[Leftist]

Behold, mudanayaal: the other day, rain pouring like roob, behold a wondrous sight that filled my heart with farxad and a twinge of envy. A father and his 5 year old son, wearing exact matching outfits, running in the rain laughing and racing each other to the car.


I was all:

It hit me right in the Aabo-nimo spot. I just stood their super-cheesin, b. It was like 80% vicariously sharing in their farxad 20% envy, wishing that was me with my son.

And as I stood there, the artist in me decided to commemorate this joyful scene with a great work of free-style spoken gabay. So I cleared my throat and waxaan iri:

dhawaaqa Aabo-nimo aa dagahyga ka dhax-guuxaayo, ee
daryan’ka madaafiic’da iyo dhawaaqaas yaa culus?, ee

I kinda hit the wall after that couplet; couldn’t find any other word that starts with “d”. But you have to admit, that was one excellent opening to what could’ve been GOAT gabays.

Speaking of gabay, how come there isn’t one well-known gabay about the father-son relationship or even one about the love for children in Somali poetry? Is it the whole “nomads in a harsh environment, not supposed to show emotions” thing? Timocade and Sayyid can rap about all sorts of topics, but none for the most beloved and wondrous of creations: ubad-kayga. Not a good look.

The other day I was asked, unexpectedly, what qualities I was looking for in a wifey. First thing that came to mind was: “A great mother, she’s gotta have the personality and temperament to be great mother”

The call of fatherhood, mudanayaal. It must be answered.

And because our fan iyo suugaan is so sadly bereft of “wimpy” and “emotional” gabays, I am forced to turn to beesha cadaan beoble and their suugaan ee ku saabsan Aabo-nimo and the greatest Love that ever existed: The mutual love that exists between a father and his children.

[youtube]?v=dQe3DKDQRRs[/youtube]


Ohhhhh, Aaaaabo, let me driiiiiiiiiiiiiiive. Ohhhhh Aaabo, let me driiiiiiiiiiiiive.

It was just a broken down laandi-kruuz
with a jerrigaan full of biyo iyo naafto
I was just a young boy, labo gacan on the wheel
I can't replace the way it made me feel and
he would say, turn it left, warya, hadii kale madaxa aa kaa tuma
And I would keep it right
He would say, drive a little slower, Aabo, nacas ha noqonin
Your doing just fine
Just a dirt road with trash on each side
But I was Cabdi-Bile on wheels
When Aabo let me drive

Ohhh, when Aabo let me driiiiiive.

[Marques]

Show tough love always. My son won't even get a hug from me once he's above 10

[Leftist]

^^ You don't mean that. And if you do, you'll change your mind once the call of fatherhood hits you full-force, a few more years baa kaaga dhiman dhawaaqa. Brace yourself.

[djibsomali]

Very good thread!
Abaanimo in west society is next to impossible!
i will leave for others to contribute

[Leftist]

For those of your who are fathers,

Make sure to to make the most of this time, inta ay yaryahiin. Your kids will remember their childhood forever. Make every day magical. Like mine was, mahad-Ebbe. Pops would dress up like a pirate, complete with the eye-patch and fake teeth set. He’d let a 8 year old Leftist “driiiiiiiiive, oh he’d let me, driiiiiiiiiive” by giving me the steering wheel while he worked the pedals.

Then he’d sit down and watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with us and sing the theme song with us.

“Teenage mutant ninja turtles,, turltes in a half-shell, turtle power!”

[youtube]?v=nNa2Fr6CA0E[/youtube]

[djibsomali]

Leftist are you generation 90s with both father and mother together and stil together ?

[Leftist]

^^ No, bro, I'm a 80's baby. And mahad'Ebbe, yes, parents are still togther, ilaahay cimraga ha uu ziyaado.

So many things we take for granted: a magical childhood(with the occasional karbaash with fiilo when necessary) , a loving stable two-parent household, financial stability. Baluuug Basaabooooooooor.

Ebbe-ow mahad idil adiga bay ku sugnaatay.

[Leftist]

Geel-jire ma ooyaan:

[youtube]?v=HECZbIMg9u8[/youtube]

[djibsomali]

^^ No, bro, I'm a 80's baby. And mahad'Ebbe, yes, parents are still togther, ilaahay cimraga ha uu ziyaado.

So many things we take for granted: a magical childhood(with the occasional karbaash with fiilo when necessary) , a loving stable two-parent household, financial stability. Baluuug Basaabooooooooor.

Ebbe-ow mahad idil adiga bay ku sugnaatay.

Hadaa you are the last generation who had the luxury to be brought up in a dignified household hence your honourable observation about fatherhood and the next generation.
Unfortunately the majority of our somali folks in here are the product of single motherhood and a broken subconsciously or not self being.

[tmac]

I remember as a kid I used to go to my cadaan friends house and see their parents show affection and love for each other,. We Somalis never see that on our household. My parents marriage is still rock solid after 30 years but the only time I ever saw them give each long warm affectionate hugs was when one of them was about to travel and be gone for weeks.

I understand it's not in our culture to show affecton in front of the kids but I'd argue it'd be good if they did.

[Marques]

^^ You don't mean that. And if you do, you'll change your mind once the call of fatherhood hits you full-force, a few more years baa kaaga dhiman dhawaaqa. Brace yourself.

Astaqfurulah waan gefay. Markasto owlaad saalax ayaa Ilaah la baryaa, lest He renders me childless or afflicted with hell-bound offspring.

But forreal the daughter should get more affection, a girl with daddy issues is more dangerous than a son who doesn't get much love.

[Leftist]

^^ No, bro, I'm a 80's baby. And mahad'Ebbe, yes, parents are still togther, ilaahay cimraga ha uu ziyaado.

So many things we take for granted: a magical childhood(with the occasional karbaash with fiilo when necessary) , a loving stable two-parent household, financial stability. Baluuug Basaabooooooooor.

Ebbe-ow mahad idil adiga bay ku sugnaatay.

Hadaa you are the last generation who had the luxury to be brought up in a dignified household hence your honourable observation about fatherhood and the next generation.
Unfortunately the majority of our somali folks in here are the product of single motherhood and a broken subconsciously or not self being.

Indeed, our long-running civil war destroyed more than a country, it also destroyed the Somali family structure.

And with divorce rates skyrocketing among young Somalis, the future of the Somali family-unit does not look promising. Still, I remain optimistic; we must, collectively, rebuild the Somali family structure. More hands-on engagement, more Big Aboowe/Big Abaayo type programs, more counseling, removing the stigma from seeking mental health counseling and/or marital counseling.

It takes the whole tuulo/magaalo/shacab to rebuild what avarice, greed, corruption, nacayb, and qabyaalad destroyed.

[Leftist]

I just remembered something funny.

Khalid Ali/Emperior_5/suldaanka was talking about how he talks to his dad when his dad calls him.(ie, its the dad doing the calling, not Khalid)

Fada: halow, haye, maa Khalid baa
Khalid: Haa, Aabo, waa aniga
Fada: dee iska waran
Khalid: Wax walbo waa ok,
Fada: haye, maxaa kale
Khalid Ali: aahay, waa iska ok, adiga iska waran Aabo
Fada: dee waxwalba waa sida aad nogu ogayd, waa iska ok
Khalid: Haye
Fada: aaahaay.

* 10 seconds of awkward silence*

Fada: haye Aabo, khayr aa kuu rajeynaa
Khalid Ali: Ok Aabo.



sheekada dhan waxay ku dhamatay "aahay" iyo "waa iska ok". Combination of simply not having anything to talk about(completely different lifestyles) and the inability on both sides to freely talk to each other. laga yaabo khalid dagaheesa inay weli ka yeereyso karbaash'ka murkoo yaraa, and lagayaabo odayga just doesn't know how to say: "i love you son" or "forgive me for beating the crap outa you when you were a kid, i did it to make you tough"

transparent and open communication would solve half of any family-issues.

[0sman]

I just remembered something funny.

Khalid Ali/Emperior_5/suldaanka was talking about how he talks to his dad when his dad calls him.(ie, its the dad doing the calling, not Khalid)

Fada: halow, haye, maa Khalid baa
Khalid: Haa, Aabo, waa aniga
Fada: dee iska waran
Khalid: Wax walbo waa ok,
Fada: haye, maxaa kale
Khalid Ali: aahay, waa iska ok, adiga iska waran Aabo
Fada: dee waxwalba waa sida aad nogu ogayd, waa iska ok
Khalid: Haye
Fada: aaahaay.

* 10 seconds of awkward silence*

Fada: haye Aabo, khayr aa kuu rajeynaa
Khalid Ali: Ok Aabo.



sheekada dhan waxay ku dhamatay "aahay" iyo "waa iska ok". Combination of simply not having anything to talk about(completely different lifestyles) and the inability on both sides to freely talk to each other. laga yaabo khalid dagaheesa inay weli ka yeereyso karbaash'ka murkoo yaraa, and lagayaabo odayga just doesn't know how to say: "i love you son" or "forgive me for beating the crap outa you when you were a kid, i did it to make you tough"

transparent and open communication would solve half of any family-issues.

LOL! That there is the relationship between a lot of Somali fathers and their children. It's sad!