Focus on the Family Unit

Parents: Life Does Not Always Announce When “Later” Has Started Becoming “Too Late.”

Omukhangos Books-FamilyWritten by Dr. Muthoni Omukhango
Over the weekend, my husband Patrick Omukhango and our last-born son Chef Ethan Omukhango – Cooking With Family went out to the pharmacy to get me some medication. That left me at home with our second-born, Oracles on Paper by Gabriella (we call her Ella), while our eldest Abiah Omukhango had gone to do her work.
 
Ella came to me sweetly and asked whether I could step away from my work so that the two of us could spend some time together while the boys were out. I told her yes, of course, I only needed to save a few documents on my computer first. I also wanted to start preparing lunch so that by the time the boys returned, they would find food ready and we could sit down to eat together as a family.
 
Simple plan. Very simple. Too simple, apparently, for a woman with “just one more thing” living permanently in her fingers.
 
I kept working.
 
Then suddenly I heard the familiar sound of my husband’s car coming to a stop outside the house.
 
I froze.
 
Gosh. More than an hour had passed!
 
An hour.
 
An entire hour since I had intended to save my work, get lunch started, and watch a short movie with Ella. I got up from my desk in a panic, dashed to the kitchen, turned on the cooker, and hurriedly started frying onions: the universal sound effect of “See? I am cooking! I was cooking the whole time!”
 
But Ella came into the kitchen and said, with that quiet sadness children carry so honestly, that we had not got to watch the movie after all, because now the boys were back.
 
And there it was.
 
Just a small disappointment standing in my kitchen beside frying onions.
 
I had meant to save my work. I had not meant to spend the whole hour there. Yet somehow what was supposed to take a moment swallowed the time that belonged to my daughter.
Then the Holy Spirit began to press something deeper into my heart.
 
That hour with Ella can still be redeemed another day. A weekend can make room for another movie, another laugh, another chance. But what about a whole lifetime lived in the wrong order?
 
That is where the real danger lies.
 
A parent keeps working while the children slowly learn to live without being truly seen.
 
A spouse keeps providing while the marriage quietly begins to survive on logistics instead of love.
 
A mother keeps serving everyone else but never sits long enough to hear what is happening in her children’s hearts.
 
A father builds a house, pays school fees, buys food, settles bills, yet one day realises he was present in responsibility but absent in relationship.
 
A couple manages calendars, budgets, church programs, school runs, and family functions, but forgets to nurture friendship.
 
A child grows up in a well-run home but with an underfed soul.
 
That is the tragedy. Not one missed movie. Not one delayed lunch.
 
Not one overworked afternoon.
But years arranged in the wrong order of priority until love becomes something we intended to show, but never quite got round to fully giving.
Life rarely falls apart with one dramatic bang. More often, it leaks away through small postponements.
 
Later.
Tomorrow.
This weekend.
After this deadline.
When things calm down.
When I finish this one task.
 
And the frightening thing is that life does not always announce when “later” has started becoming “too late.”
 
That afternoon reminded me that family must not keep eating the leftovers of our strength. Our spouses, children, and loved ones should not only receive what remains after work, pressure, ministry, ambition, phone calls, deadlines, and fatigue have taken the best part of us.
The people we love most must not survive on our intentions. They need our presence.
 

Three lessons from this moment

1. Good intentions are not the same as right priorities.
I truly meant to step away. I truly meant to spend time with Ella. I truly meant to start lunch. But intention without action still leaves an empty chair. Love must be scheduled, protected, and practised, not merely felt.
 
2. Small delays can create deep losses over time.
One missed hour may be repaired. But repeated missed hours can become missed seasons. Children grow. Marriages shift. Hearts adjust. What we postpone too often, we may one day struggle to recover.
 
3. Family deserves the best of us, not the remains of us.
Work matters. Responsibility matters. Providing matters. But relationships are not sustained by provision alone. A family needs food on the table, yes, but also laughter in the room, attention in the conversation, and warmth in the heart.
 
In the end, I was reminded that there are some things we can cook up quickly when people arrive. Onions, perhaps.
But intimacy, trust, memories, and connection do not work like that.
 
Those must be prepared ahead of time.
 

Conclusion:

Parenting is too important to be left to chance. Raising children intentionally in today’s fast-moving world requires wisdom, courage, and constant learning. Within the African Christian Authors Book Award – ACABA ecosystem, several authors have offered practical guidance drawn from real parenting journeys.
 
In Decision Points – Memoirs of a Working Mother, Dr. Esther Katende Magezi reflects on the many choices she made while raising her children from birth to age twelve, honestly sharing both victories and mistakes to help parents think carefully about the daily decisions that shape a child’s future.
 
In Mentoring My Children, Dr. Pamela Kariba reminds us that parenting is not only about providing but about guiding, teaching, and modelling character in a rapidly changing culture.
 
Meanwhile, Back On My Feet: The ‘How-To’ Manual for Single Parents, Muthoni Omukhango offers encouragement and spiritual insight for single parents, combining practical counsel with faith-based resilience for those navigating parenting while rebuilding their lives.
 
Finally, When Mama Prays: 21 Days Devotion by Rayhab Izzo highlights the powerful role of prayer, reminding mothers that one of the greatest influences they carry over their children’s lives is the ability to intercede for them before God.
 
Together, these ACABA resources remind us that parenting is not accidental, it is a calling that requires intention, mentorship, and faith every step of the way.
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Strengthening the Family Unit

The Focus on the Family Unit Initiative by Mama Africa Book Box (MABB) is empowering families across Africa to grow stronger through Christian literature, family mentorship, and a thriving reading culture. Through weekly kids shows, parent mentorship sessions, and beautifully illustrated African children’s books, we equip homes with tools that...

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Focus on the Family Unit Initiative

The Focus on the Family Unit Initiative by Mama Africa Book Box (MABB) is empowering families across Africa to grow stronger through Christian literature, family mentorship, and a thriving reading culture. Through weekly kids shows, parent mentorship sessions, and beautifully illustrated African children’s books, we equip homes with tools that...

Read More

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