Gratitude

Let us give ourselves a Great round of applause for making it to this day with the knowledge of our roots at the forefront of the description that which we are, for it is whence we came that we are motivated to dream and see where it is we are going.

Today, I gave some of my time to two delivery men that were dropping off a bed for one of the residents in our complex (residential area similar to flats) on the third floor.  When all was done, the eldest of the two said; “u ngum’Africa wa nge mpela.”  I reckon that one can say this when the monument of Ubuntu’s worth is exercised, a gesture that we as the new age tend to forget when we go about our way each and every day. A ‘thank you’ would have been enough for me, but clearly this one man wanted me to feel how grateful he is of my 20 seconds of workmanship. The bed was up and on my way I went like nothing had happened.  It is only when I got into the house that I really thought of what the meaning of his words were.  u Ngum’Africa wa nge mpela.  My worth is of the flavour that scented the works of many in the age that I do not know of yet hear those of age speak of, the hand that describes the neighbor that is yearned for by many but only them that come from the hollows of the townships and grace seasoned backgrounds know of, the Samaritan that was once heard of in scripture and the son of willingness.

The feeling of being valued, to me, is better than the feeling of having everything.  Having a value to myself, to start with, and having a value to my family and close friends breeds the potential I have to care for EVERYONE around me.  This value is what makes me human in all rights of being, whether right or wrong it remunerates the essence of being human.  Why then do we not look into the faces of all the women and men that have been our herders and give a solid word of thanks each and every moment of their existence to us, and by that too I, with intent, mean thank the God of the heavens for them in their passing to another life, for they still exist with Him too that gave them life first.  Are we really blinded by times promiscuous toil with our lives in pleasures that could be barren to our soul’s voice, which be the source of deliverance to our out stretched arms and substance seeking palms?  As sweet as pleasures are, I am certain that none will match the breath that you and I borrow at this very moment.  No pleasure can match the sight of the rising or the setting sun in summers glow or winters overcasting blur.  None will match the sound of the oceans swimming ripples that massage your ears lobe at the sound of a shell or the murmur of your imagination and would you dare to imagine a world without a touch…

I have learned through a great deal of lessons, both taught by nature and humanity, that though many are things that go unnoticed in this life, we should never let gratitude be one of them, so I will start here, right now.  Thank you for reading this script.