The chairman of the Volgograd regional public organization of Georgians "Iberia" Soso Gogsadze spoke about how family relations are built in his native country and why there are no boarding schools for the elderly in Georgia.
- When I arrived in Russia, I was wildly surprised by the phrase: "We have a good family." How could it be otherwise? Every family is good. It turns out that in Russia they say that when there are no alcoholics in the family. We don't have such a problem. The Georgian feast lasts five to eight hours, but you won't see a drunk. Not so long ago, the Georgian feast (supra) was declared an intangible cultural heritage of the people. Moreover, supra does not mean at all rich Georgian cuisine with its variety of dishes and delicious wine. No, I mean the traditions and rituals associated with the feast. The Georgian feast is a small academy where you can hear a lot of news, hear wise words from the lips of old people. When the elders talk, the younger ones always listen.
We do not abandon old people. According to custom, the youngest son stays at his parents' house, brings his wife and looks after his parents. It turned out differently in our family, I am the youngest son, but I have been living in Volgograd for more than 25 years. Therefore, an older brother lives with his parents. His wife and children stayed in Tbilisi, and he was with the elderly. They agreed with his wife, it turned out to be the best solution for the family. In our country, all decisions are made not by the husband alone, but jointly, we are Orthodox.
If it so happens that the old man has no children, then the state helps. The lonely are entitled to pension supplements and social canteens. You will never see old people digging in garbage cans in search of food, everyone has a decent life. Of course, near the church, it happens that they stand and ask for alms. And not only the elderly. But there is such a category of people: no matter how much you give them, everything is not enough for them.
Establishing a respectful attitude towards old people among young people is possible only by example. When children are young, parents show how they treat their parents, and their children grow up with an understanding of how to treat the elderly correctly.
We do not make sons and daughters kings and queens. Yes, we help and support our children all our lives. For all sons, no matter how many of them there are (except for the youngest, who stays with them), parents help to purchase a separate house, and a dowry is prepared for their daughters. Of course, modern life has made its own adjustments. Nowadays, young people often jointly buy housing or build a house, but all the same, parents contribute some share. The main thing is that the parents did their duty, they did everything for their children. We do not have an age until which mothers and fathers have to help - as long as there is strength and desire, everyone helps. There is no one that raised up to 18 years old and - goodbye, do what you want! We are always children for our parents, always under their cover. Brothers and sisters also help each other. We teach children to work from an early age. My parents are not ordinary workers, but despite this, from the fourth grade I worked with my uncle, he built roads. Nobody forced me, it was a matter of course. If children know how hard it is to earn 1 2 rubles, they will appreciate the work of their parents. I do not regret the money for the child, but when he earned it himself, he will not waste it on nonsense and let it go down the drain. This is also the secret of how parents will live their old age.
Veronica Skvortsova, Elena Khudenko. Photo: pixabay.com.
