Most people want to spend as much time as they can at the age of twenty hanging out with friends, enjoying themselves, unwinding, and meeting new people. Unfortunately, not everyone has the means to fully appreciate their youth.
Fate, however, had other plans for Christina. She was the oldest child in a family of eight children, the youngest of whom was just four years old, when she lost both of her parents within two years.
Social services got involved during the mother’s funeral and discussed the possibility of dividing up the kids and placing them all in orphanages. The notion of them being apart tore at Christina’s heart, and she worried about where she would find them all.
Christina proudly proclaimed that she would be her siblings’ guardian and do everything in her power to guarantee that they grow up together after considerable thought. Fortunately, she had the support of the local authorities, and the guardianship agency offered the family six months to demonstrate that they could successfully live under Christina’s supervision as the oldest sister.
Christina was forced to stop attending university and begin working from home in a rural area. She took care of housework, milked cows, and picked up the kids from school and the garden. She prepared meals, did the laundry, and cleaned the house when the kids weren’t around.
Social services paid them another visit six months later and observed that the family was doing well. The house was in order, everyone was fed, clothed, and clean. Each child had a chore because Christina had assigned them all. The girls helped in the kitchen and with other home duties, while the lads would tend to the animals.
Even though there were certain drawbacks, such having to get water from a source several kilometers away, the local government supplied water to their house, giving the family the impression that they were actually on vacation. Christina’s tenacity and devotion to her siblings were incredibly inspiring and touching.