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Ntam and Bernice here! Two sixty-something years old folks; have stuck together as a couple, through irks, perks and aches of life, and amid some cultural differences; have raised 5 children altogether and blessed with 5 grandchildren and one great-grandchild; and as parents with backgrounds in social work and development economics, have learned a lot in the areas of decision making for family-wellbeing. As we attempt to document lessons learned (and still being learned), we welcome you to our blog. We hope you find it informational and educational enough for you to bookmark and come back to it as often as possible.

WHO ARE WE?

Two sixty-something years old folks; one retired as a social worker from the VA Medical Center, and the other one retiring very soon from teaching and doing Extension work at an HBCU in the US south. Have raised 5 children altogether (ages 29, 35, 48, 48 and 50) and blessed with 5 grandchildren (ages 11, 13, 17, 19 and 21) and one great-grandchild. The children have all gone to college or trade schools.

One child went to a nursing school after several years in the army. She has been working as an Licensed Practical Nurse and has gone back to nursing school to become a Registered Nurse. The second one went to an HBCU where she obtained a degree in computer sciences, also after a few years in the military. She works in the cyber security industry. Our third child went to a trade school to become a plumber and works assiduously at many different jobs.

The other two children went to what is called here, Ivy schools. One is a medical doctor, and the other one, a lawyer. We feel very that all our children have grown up to become loving and responsible citizens (all most all of them!), with different levels of economic success in their lives. You will not be able to guess who is more successful financially!

HOW WERE WE ABLE TO DO IT?

First, we stuck together as a couple, through irks, perks and aches of life, and amid some cultural differences. Remember that I am from DRC-Africa, and she is from Alabama. In addition, we did not come childless to the union. I brought one child in and she brought two!

Second, we were determined early on that we were going to be a “family”, not a “blended family”. Although this was easier said than done, we are among the happiest parents on earth for having achieved the one-family status.

It thus took hard work, willingness to forgive oneself and each other, trials and errors and good luck before we realized that we were on an auto pilot and steady course of personal and family growth for the last 30 years or so.

WHY THIS SITE?

Through our four decades of life together, we must have learned one thing or two about family togetherness, raising children, healthy lifestyles, personal finance management, proper nutrition, family decision processes, etc. We also tended to bring our professional backgrounds into play in our regularly held meetings when it came to economic, personal finance and social issues or challenges to the family.

As we move into retirement, we have continued to hold our now two-person pow-wows to reminisce about the past, talk about and evaluate any current opportunities or challenges that come with age. In the process, we will continue to develop solutions and now, start documenting lessons learned for sharing, not only with our children and grandchildren but also with as many people out there who can benefit from our modest experiences in life.

WHAT'S THE GOAL FOR THIS SITE?

This site is a network that provides education, a social forum, and inspiration for families from two sixty-something years old parents and grandparents, with backgrounds in social work and development economics. We provide consumer information and expertise from a truly tried, lived and educated perspectives.

We are also inviting likeminded people to join in our conversations and share their ideas and family success stories.

If you ever need personal discussion or have any questions, feel free to leave them below and we will be more than happy to help you out.

All the best to you!

Ntam & Bernice