SELF ASSESSMENT 101: SELF-IMPORTANCE a.k.a Pride

(This first paragraph is named “As a Luo would say”). During this month, I spent better days of the month on the fishy shores of Africa’s Largest fresh water lakes that was named by a Briton explorer, John Hanning. So this guy saw and thought that the fancy African names Nam Lolwe (Luo), Nalubaale (Luganda) or Nyanza (Kinyarwanda) were not fit for such a wonder. So he decided to name it after his beloved queen, Queen Victoria and how that name stuck I know not. I mean, even children in those areas are taught that the original name was Lake Victoria and it was “discovered” by the said Briton. Yeah right, like the young and well-built warriors of our motherland (and sister-land for Uganda and Tanzania) who lived along the shores of this water body never even once saw it. Like they daily passed it and were wondering “what is this? It looks like water …or sand.” Then Bam! A Briton stumbles upon the water body and he says “Guys, I have made a discovery. There is something here that looks like a large basin (pun intended). Your Majesty , what shall we call this? Name it and it shall be done.” “A lake”, she said “Oh Your Majesty, may you live forever (the irony in that statement). Oh royal and beautiful one, you are full of wisdom. I shall name it after you”. And so it became; Lake Victoria. Colonialism *sigh*

Where was I? Yes, Kisumu. While I was there on some work assignment, I got to interact with a people who are known for pride, love of the fine things in life, and lovers of life itself; the Luos of Kenya. Though this might be a stereotype, it can be both a good reputation and a bad reputation to have. During the last of my days there, I spent an evening at one of my friend’s place. The family has it all, by worldly standards. They really live up to their reputation, except one thing. Pride. The vast house is home to more than 10 kids and an equal number of young people. 80 percent of the people living there are adopted or were taken up from various hardships. And they live such a simple life that when you meet the father and mother on the street you would easily dismiss them for some guy and lady trying to make it in life. Their humility melted my heart and almost brought me to my knees. I was going through a time of self-assessment, and God had been speaking to me on some of the areas in my life that need to be worked on.

This made me look at our generation and weep (kinda). Humility has been replaced with pride, and serious pride in our generation. We are a people who want to feel important so much that we want everyone to know how important we are. We attach monetary value to everything and we want people to know how much it was actually worth. Most of our conversations are full of how we did this, how we did that, how much our phones, cars, houses, headphones, tablets, sunglasses cost, where we went for holiday etc. We are itching to mention these and other ego-boosting thoughts to others, more often than not, our peers. We like to ask “do you know (insert name of a celebrity)?” “Have you ever visited (insert fancy place)?” “How much did you buy that? I bought mine for (insert ridiculously high price)”. We want to make others see how important we are, how we know people and how wealthy we are. Without knowing it, we are harboring and feeding pride. We are slowly killing humility. Sure, our friends and people will tolerate us, but only for a while. They eventually get tired and we end up with no friends…or with fake ones. Worse still, we could fall victim to what someone once said; “It is better to lose your pride with someone you love rather than to lose that someone you love with your useless pride.”

I recently read an article here that talked about the very same thing. The author states so well that when you act like you’re important, you only prove you aren’t. He goes ahead to show how proud people are cheap. Not in the way they look, the way they spend or the way they earn — cheap in the way they treat other people, and the way they attempt to assign a dollar value to everyone they meet.

“I’ve gone from having money in the bank to applying for a job flipping burgers in 6 months straight. When you’ve lived like that, you have a different attitude to money, and you have a different idea of what it means to be a Have or a Have Not. You’re less likely to look at someone and decide that they’re worth a material amount or they’re worth nothing.

You’re less likely to try and show off your money, your status or your prestige. The reason? You know that none of those things are worth more than other people, other human people.”

I know, many times I have also been a victim of the same. I have been infected with the same syndrome and looking back at it, I felt disgusted. So disgusted at myself and I kept asking myself “Was that necessary?”, “What have I gained?” Even God Himself says,

Through Solomon: “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom… Whoever belittles his neighbor lacks sense, but a man of understanding remains silent.” Prov 11:2; 12

and

Through Paul: For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Gal 6: 3

Friends, let us do self-assessment. If we find that we have pride (knowingly or unknowingly), let us strive to replace this with humility. After-all, T. S. Eliot said “Most of the trouble in the world is caused by people wanting to be important”. Don't know where to start? Get feedback from your close circle of friends...it will surprise you.

Facebook:  Njeri Kareithi

Twitter: @deekareithi

*images source

Read More

PACES

Well, this post was to go up a few days ago, before the alleged month of love ended but meh! Life happened but here we are :-). Now, the month of February had a lot of stuff going on, from friends getting married, people declaring undying (oh the irony) love for each other on the 14^th, people hosting and attending singles events, people getting engaged, people passing on; all on the same day/weekend. It makes you wonder, all these things that happen in this feared and dreaded day, what do people do the other day of the month? A friend told me that she asked her boyfriend not to give her anything…well, I don’t know how that would go with most readers, but I guess guys would really love that. In the same month, we (I) saw the birth of two young establishments and the slow death of another. We also saw some lions escape a national park in Kenya, and the jokes and memes all over were just hilarious. What caught my attention though, is this review by this website that I had never come across (shekirout!).

Copyright: me

Now, in the same month, I happened to visit Hell’s gate National Park Kenya and hike Mt. Longonot. Well, it was not my first time to hike the said mountain, I had been there severally. The mountain holds a special place as it also hold very special memories for me. This time though, this time was different. It felt different. Not because I was there with a different group (a group of young scientists, by the way. you see, scientists also know how to have fun, forget what CBS portrays with Sheldon et al). A group of us had a mission. We wanted to go round the rim and reach the highest peak. And so with great determination and sheer excitement, about 20 of us started the journey to the summit. Armed with water and other sugary stuff to keep our energy levels up, we started the great hike. A few minutes in, some of us started getting tired and taking breaks. If you have been there, you know there only two resting places; at the middle and at the top. On our way up, several of us were stopping to take photos and selfies, unaware of the daunting task ahead. At-least all of us made it to the halfway point. Some were left there as they felt they could not go on, while some felt so energetic they were running up, literally. I was left with the last group, not that I could not hurry up, but because I wanted to make sure that at-least those who started the journey made it to the top, regardless of the pace. And so four of us started the journey at a snail’s pace, picking up a few other hikers along the way. 

Copyright: me

As if things could not get worse for those already tired, heavy rain started falling. Heavy rain.  So, you are in the middle of a hike, with bushes all around. Heavy rain is falling. There is only one way up. The half way resting place is too far to go back. So what do you do? You keep going and pray that you will not get a cold. Keeping your eyes on the hut at the top, you strive forward. Half an hour later, you finally make it up with the last bunch of hikers in your group. Rain is still falling. Someone makes a joke about us hiking in swimming costumes next time. We all laugh. We rest a bit and then the group breaks into two. Some of us want to reach to the highest peak (which will take us approximately 2more hours), while the others want to return. Long story short, only 9 of us made it round the rim, with several episodes of rain and sunshine. 

When we got down to join the other team for lunch, I couldn’t help but think about how different paces (yes, paces not a typo) in life are. Here we were, a group of young scientists. We had one thing (two…three…okay several things in common). We were scientists, human, but we also had a goal of scaling this mountain. However, some of us were faster, some of us more determined, some of us more ambitious, some of us more experienced in hiking; and all these determined our paces. Some of us were hiking slowly, some slow. Some of us got discouraged by the rain, some of us enjoyed the rain (I mean, when was the last time you got drenched by rain?). Some of us made it to the peak, some did not. Some of us made it to the summit, others got tired half way. I could not help but think life outside. There are these personal goals that we set and there are those goals society expects us to attain. Like getting married, having a family, getting established, (for those of us in science) papers to publish, finish school and the likes. Spiritually, we have the same personal and societal goals. We desire growth, we desire to do things that we read about people do and we want to do them. See all these things are doable and attainable, but guess what; we all have different paces!

At times we get discouraged or want to do things in a hurry because so and so has done it and succeeded. This is especially for our young generation. We want to compare ourselves with our friends and peers. But you know what; we cannot all be the same. We move at different paces. We have different experiences, different resources. We might have the same goals, but getting there will be at different paces. So the next time you feel like so and so has done so much in life and you have not done a lot, the next time you think of getting married because your friends are getting married, you want to move to a posh estate because your friends are doing so, or want to start a business because your friends are doing so, you want to accumulate quick wealth because people are doing so; remember this. We move at different paces. And life is not a race. So long as you are moving, snail speed or otherwise, so long as there is progress, we will all get there. Scale that mountain, at your own pace! (and if you get company or someone who is encouraging you and challenging you to keep on, the better :-))

The Champs. 6 countries represented, One goal, One victory.
Copyright: me

Happy New month from Njeri Kareithi’s Desk

Facebook:  Njeri Kareithi

Twitter: @deekareithi

 

Read More

In Case of Emergency by Barrack O (@bar_rack )

Now, now, now, before you start thinking that the POTUS wrote this, let me remind you to Keep Calm and read on. The author(bar_rack) *lol, notice how he plays around with his name? You, Judge Judy, gerrrarahia*, is one interesting being. 

Imagine that you are walking in town one Saturday afternoon. Either alone or with a friend in tow. Let’s assume the second option – you are strolling in town with a friend, W. You talk about the weather and how it’s been behaving. How the week was at work and at home. You talk about everything that you can possibly talk with your friend. Then, suddenly, in the middle of that you start feeling ill. At that moment you realize that there is something terribly wrong with your body and you cannot really figure it out. You assume and keep on talking. Suddenly your friend realizes there’s something terribly wrong, but they too are clueless. Things happen so fast that you start losing your sensory abilities – you cannot feel the spoon that’s in your hand and you fail to coordinate the digits on your hand but nothing. Before you know it, a sharp migraine fills your entire head causing you to slump on the table, weak and helpless.

Across the table your friend looks at you, helpless. Prodding with questions.

“How are you feeling?” W asks.

“Pins and needles,” you respond. Google that if you don’t know.

“You were just okay,” W says, confused. “What is up? Do you 

have anyone I can call?”

“I have to think,” you respond, gasping under the intense pain clouding your head.

Then you realize that you almost have nobody in your “In case of Emergency (ICE)” list. Then the wildest thoughts start swarming your head.

“What if I was alone and I collapsed in town?” A thought crosses your head.

The People in Our Lives

That’s what happened to me a few months ago. A small incident that shook me a lot. It made me think about the people I could reach out in case something goes awry and I needed someone to be there for me when I couldn’t help myself.

I was shaken because things went from good to bad then ugly in a matter of minutes and lasted about four hours. I was hanging in there – in a body that was caving in to what felt like nervous failure and a headache from hell. Yeah, that’s what happens when you overwork yourself for almost three straight weeks.

I was also shaken because, had I been alone in town, the experience would have been unimaginable, or so I thought. I would be alone in this city where expression of concern is considered rare.

Before I go  on, I happen to be on W’s ICE and that is why we were in town in the first place. W had landed herself in a technical mess the previous evening and I knew the right person who could fix her problem. People who watch movies on their laptops while tucked in bed need prayers.

Back to this moment when my nervous system has decided that I will feel nothing and do nothing.

“Here’s my phone,” I groaned. “Unlock it and call E”

E was not in Nairobi. He called his brother who was closer. As close as Rongai! How close! I was in CBD. How helpful!

“Who else can I call?” W, who is also my partner in crime asked.

“Try my cousin, C,” I said. “He works around here and he can be of help.”

“He says he’s away upcountry,” W said.

“Okay,” I muttered. Trying to think and getting the sharp headache, needles and stings under control. 

“Call J, he’ll call a doctor for me.”

This is the part where everybody you need is away and you are almost alone.

In hindsight, I have learnt the importance of having people who know what to do when they get that call telling them that you are not okay. It is very possible to have over 2000 friends and acquaintances on Facebook, 2000 followers on Twitter but zero people on your In Case of Emergency (ICE) list. It is a frightening thought to say the least. And by that, I exclude parents. No parent who is miles away wants to be told that their child collapsed in town while taking a walk. I am talking about friends who will immediately pause their lives and rush to where you are and see what they can do.

Interestingly, like on this particular day, ambulances also proved quite hard to come by. Dialled 1199. They took their sweet time. Called St Johns Ambulance. Nada. But that’s when that cab guy you befriended a while back shows up immediately and joins you, helping W to handle the emergency situation that I had become. All he asks is for you to tell him what hospital he can take you and not to worry about the cab fare. He coordinated with W in communicating with a doctor friend and eventually we settled on a hospital.

“W, you have to go home,” I said. “I am in good hands now”

“Weeee!,” W retorted. “Then what happens?”

“I can take it from here,” I responded, like when the CIA and FBI folks in movies tell the local cops.

“Cow!” I was told. I laughed quietly to myself. All this time popping in and out of hospital reception. A head scan here. Medication there. A doctor asking what’s stressing me up.

“I said a prayer for you in that waiting room,” W mentioned much later.

Buses, Lifts and Fires

Many weeks later, I have learnt the need to constantly evaluate the accessible people around me. Who knows where I live? Who needs to know where I am traveling to? Who needs to know where I am late at night especially when stranded? Not everyone. But people who I think matter and who will, in turn, make a difference should anything happen. Or just for the sake of knowing.

But then, I ask myself: Am I in anyone’s ICE list? Will I be able to stop my life to attend to a friend’s need till late in the night? It takes a handful of people to make a difference when all fails.

Buses have huge writings at the back glass window (is it a window really?): Emergency Door: In Case of Emergency Break Glass.

Lifts have stickers plastered: In Case of Emergency Call These Numbers 07XXX. Just in case you get stuck in a lift and you need the world to know where you are.

Some buildings have a fire alarm installation with a key: In Case of Fire Break Glass for Key. The key will always give you access to an emergency fire exit and you’ll be safe from the fire.

It is also a requirement in some of our workplaces for us to provide the details for next of kin. Same applies for life insurances and investment chamas and the likes. Just in case something happens to you at work and they need to know who your family is.

In case of emergency, I hope the 5 people in my ICE list will be the reason I will be in the ICE list of 5 other people.

This post was originally posted here

Read More

WHAT IF WE: HARD WORK

A few months ago I was in a bus en route home from town. It was a Sunday afternoon. I sat next to this father who was speaking to his son on the phone (okay, it was either his son or someone else's son but there was frequent use of the word “Kababa”). I could not hear what the person on the other side of the telephone conversation was saying (partly because it was none of my business and partly because this man was talking too loudly and I just wanted to shut him off my mind trail), but you could tell by the words of this man that the person on the other side was important.  He kept asking the other party if he had been working hard and if he held on to his dream. He kept reassuring him to keep working on that dream and work hard so that he may not end up like his father (Enough with the pressure already lol).

Source: www.npr.org

Fast forward to a month ago when I sat in an audience where a person I admire from work was sharing her story. Well, hers is not the riches to rags story, neither is her story like what most people use in talk shows and such forums where they say how they are from a humble background (note, as a friend of mine said, coming from such backgrounds does not give you monopoly over suffering), and they rose above adversity to succeed. Don’t get me wrong, I do love those stories too, they are a source of inspiration. Hers, on the other side, is a story of how she set goals for herself, kept her eyes on that dream and worked damn hard to be where she is, regardless of where she came from. She is a dreamer, a hard worker, a spirited go-getter, and has neither the time nor the space for mediocre or substandard things. And you can see the result from her work to her family, her husband (you should see them together) and the way she runs life in general. Now, before you start fussing and start telling me how I may not know what she is going trough and that no one can have it all, lemmie remind you that what she kept insisting on was hard work. H.A.R.D W.O.R.K.

A good friend and I have been talking about dreams, goals desires and what we are doing about them a lot of late. *By the way, friend who shall not be named, this is just a permanent and polite reminder that you owe me a shout out. Remember. SOTMIII*. Where was I? Yes, Hard work. I always tell some girls I mentor that I am one staunch believer of hard work. Yes, success (and achieving dreams) comes in many ways and using different avenues but if there I one that I can take to the bank and I was brought up with is hard work. The good book states very well that 

“In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.” (Proverbs 14:23) 

I have never met anyone who worked so hard and it never worked out. If you meet one, please let me know so that I meet them. What we have these days are people who want it easy, people who are not willing to work hard or sweat for their dreams. Hell, we don’t even dream anymore or have these goals and aspirations. #YOLO has become a mantra that will destroy us, if we are not careful. Remember that dream you had when you were young? That goal you wanted to achieve, that person you wanted to become? What happened to those dreams and aspirations? Sure, you will say life happened. Sure, you will say priorities changed. But you know what, a dream never dies, no matter the circumstance…your gut still holds on to that dream, wanting to pursue it so bad. A dream never dies.

We all know that 10,000 hours theory, right? I talked about it here. What if we all started working on that dream? What if we started yesterday? What if we started today? What if we so badly wanted that dream? What if we were willing to spill sweat and blood to achieve it? What if we worked so damn hard? For our families, relationships, companies, ourselves? What if we did it #ForMyCity and for humanity? 

  

What if we worked hard?  

Facebook:  Njeri Kareithi

Twitter: @deekareithi

 (The campaign dubbed #ForMyCity led by Poetry Spot. Follow the conversation here)

  

Read More

Are You Man Enough? by Kelvin Kaesa (@KelvinKaesa)

Who is a man?
Mwanaume ni?
Mwanaume ni wallet?
Mwanaume ni effort?

Men are all that
And double-caps bold highlighted headlines on the front page of a best-selling magazine, 
you can find 10 tips on how to know if he is the one,
Six more on how to keep him;
And 5 secrets on how to make him good in bed.
So go on and get yours while stocks last, get him while he’s still tall dark and handsome.

This is branding
The idea of manhood has now become commercialized
turned into a pop culture trend
the principles defining manhood can now be found copy-pasted onto newspaper lifestyle columns,
cut-out and pinned onto the walls of high school dorm room cubicles filtered into man-crush-Monday Instagram hashtags

“you thought it was hard being a woman?

Try being a man on a Monday morning when your crush posts a man crush and it’s not you…” 

it’s hard out here for ninjas like we
society is forcing us to evolve
we no longer stand straight and cannot hold up our heads backs bent typing away on google trends
a man has to make sure his personality traits are tagged just fine to show up on the first page your search results go on, take your phones and google “how to be a man” you will find more than 2.4 billion results in about 0.79 seconds
Now that is fast
Fast enough to teach man how to bend into a consumer sized package wrapped up and delivered to your door step
waiting for you to let him in
his heart now bends in ways that won’t let him feel
and whatever else is left standing straight, has stereotypes to fill its place the bits of human left in him are trapped inside a hard heart
hard as a clenched fist holding on to trends, and needs he needs…
he needs more morphine for the state he’s in
more dope to lace his lips so they get hooked to what he says he needs more bass for the chiqs he wishes he’d win
he needs more chisel-chipped abs for the freeze-frame photo-shoot photos his followers want to see
They want to see more smiling… less frowning
“smile wider… don’t let the world see your frown. You are atlas go on hold your head up and don’t get your world off-balance”

I wonder, how many of you ladies take time to make sure you go out with the right guy?
I mean a crop-top, high heels and classy clutch bag need a fine brand to accessorize I wonder what skin tone of a man will match your dress tonight
There is a saying that goes
“teach a man to fish and you save him for a lifetime”
but, teach a man how to hunt like a dog and all he will ever know is to follow commands sit…he sits stand…and so he does here have a bone for your efforts
now wag your tail, roll over and die
whoever said you can’t teach an old dog new tricks forgot to mention that survival is a basic instinct so old dogs can learn to adapt and humans…well humans are not far off from the rest of the species keep repeating a slogan and see if he does not adapt… even bone of his bone can be made just that…a bone that… that is how you identify awesome branding!!!!

Now, how many guys here today think they are man enough?
How many of you are sure you are not just brands?
Go on. Think about it. Look into yourself
Look keenly, look closely
Because I can bet… that all you see are blurred lines
Your blood line has become so twisted you can form jungle-gyms inside your heart You cannot trace down your ancestry
In order for a man to find the true definition of manhood
We have to go back to the beginning
Hebrews 1:3 “…the son is the radiance of the father and he holds everything by the power of his words”
The son is the radiance of the father
The sun reflects the light of its father
The son is a perfect image of his father…like literally
He was made in his image and likeness.
Life breathed into his lungs, heart pumping he speaks things into existence

Now, you need to realize this is why God intended that man become head of the family
Because in him he holds the power to hold things in place, be a provider and sustains those close to him. He reflects good character that defines hiss offspring’s well being
So, do you still think you are man enough or just a brand?
You can wear your snapbacks, saggy pants and cool hairstyles. But that…that is just branding. Be a man

This piece was originally posted at Story Zetu. All rights preserved to Kelvin Kaesa. Read More of his works and projects #OfSmallBoysInBigCities and #MadeToRise here

Read More

WHAT IF WE: APPRECIATE

“So I called my dad to wish him a happy father’s day and he laughed saying I've got jokes”.

 

 I swear I burst out laughing that day. See this young lady known as Shiru wa Wanjiku is a funny one. Not only does she write beautiful poems that kiss your soul over and over (read them here), she is also a crazy one. You should hear the two of us having a conversation. I would like to blame the fact that we attended the same high school but that wouldn’t look good for the high school right? So I’ll just blame my circle of friends and make a mental note that I should get new ones.

 You’ve got to love how we love these “Day” days. Valentine’s Day, Christmas Day, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, Labour Day, Independence Day, Birth-Day (lol)...then there are those days that we have invented;  sijui WhatsApp Admin Day, Best Friends Day et al. Any reason to buzz over social media platforms; right?

I remember when I used to volunteer at a certain children’s home where this young lad who we shall name Jude used to reside. Among his peers of ages two to three, he was the sweetest thing alive…stubborn he was, but I mean, he would hide sweets given by the frequent visitors to give to babies that were asleep when visitors came. Occasionally he would give me one when I left for home in the evening and ask me to take it to keep it as his way to say “thank you for taking care of us today”. Well, he would also add that I should not eat it but give it to that baby we had at home because “sweet ni za watoto (sweets are for young ones)”, but that is beside the point.  You know that warm fuzzy feeling you feel in your stomach, your insides warming up and you feel like hugging someone? That's how I felt...each and every time. Believe you me that small act would make me look forward to being in that home as early as possible.

Ever attended a  burial where those in attendance fill their sentences with “so and so was a good person…they did this and this for me…..they used to do this every day…I wish  I could tell them how I appreciated it…if only they would wake up and see how grateful I am…”? Many are the times that we take for granted what others do to us, until the grim reaper takes them away or they stop doing it; then we start singing the “I miss the way you used to” song. We live in a society where when and if someone does something for you, you think they are obligated to do that because, I mean… it is you. Or some society rules dictate that they do.

Well, I say break those societal rules and obligations. I mean, do we have to wait until the next “Day” day so that we appreciate someone by putting their picture as our profile picture, or post on  walls about how much we appreciate their existence (while knowing too well that they are not on the social media platform you posted and you would rather do that for the “likes” than say it in person) , or wait for the day things start going south and memories of what they used to do is all we have, or death takes them away? 

We need not to! Appreciate that person who sacrifices for your sake. Someone makes food for you? Appreciate. Someone does your laundry? Appreciate. Someone keeps checking on you? Appreciate. Someone is always there? Appreciate. Someone teaches you a lesson? Appreciate. Someone takes care of you? Appreciate. Someone taught you what you now know? Appreciate. Someone did that thing for you? Appreciate. Someone helped you? Well, appreciate!

I appreciate you all who take the time to read my posts. 

What if we appreciated each other? What if we started today? What if we did it #ForMyCity and for humanity?

Facebook:  Njeri Kareithi

Twitter: @deekareithi

 (The campaign dubbed #ForMyCity  is led by Poetry Spot. Follow the conversation here)

Read More

UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

A few weeks ago, a discussion ensued in a forum I am a member of. The topic was of loving and getting hurt. One of us said “It reminds me of my cat, I could throw it to the ceiling but it would come back when I call it and hug me”. Well, as you have done…I burst out in laughter at the thought of that and how it played on my mind.

Fast forward to a week ago, at work, a delivery man stood at our department’s reception with a bouquet of roses and a box of chocolates…you can imagine how we enviously walked past, just wishing they were ours. Then I saw this video that went viral on social media sites of a young girl taking care of her siblings suffering from malnutrition. She was just a year or two older than them, and with no parents, she took up the responsibility of showering the siblings with love and raising them. She walked several kilometers to fetch water (the barrel looked like it weighed heavier than her) to wash the siblings who can do nothing but lay on the soil all day. 

She knew she did not have much to offer, she could not provide food for her brother and sister, but she saw they were unclean and she knew that she would help in that area. Now, what amused me most and touched my heart, is this. The volunteers who had gone to visit this family gave her a packet of cookies (I can’t remember well if they were cookies or biscuits; but it was in a packet). The young girl chose to first feed her siblings then took whatever had remained.

Credit: www.allposters.com

“That is normal”, I hear you say, but put yourself in this situation, you have not had something to eat in maybe a month, then someone gives you even a tiny cup of flavored water. What would you do; gobble it down quickly or feed your siblings first then take some of whatever remains? Well, I saw a immeasurable love that this young girl had for her siblings; a love that puts others first, a love willing to give and give, a love that wants to make the other better and happy, and I really thought about the image of love that has been painted on our minds.

I have heard friends severally say how they are punishing their loved ones for not doing this or that, to them, the misery that their loved one goes through makes them happy, soothes their ego. Often times I have heard people say they can only love people when they are loved back, or can only do this or that for someone after something has been done for/to them. We are loving, but there is always a condition in this love; like there are conditions that have to be met for one to give love...Have you ever seen how a pet loves their owner (as in the story I mentioned first)? Have you ever seen how an old grandmother takes care of her old and sickly husband? Have you ever seen how a child hugs a teddy bear and says how much they love it? Have you ever seen a person love you so much they would die for you every time you make a mistake just so that you may live?

With the Easter season just around the corner, I have been thinking of this kind of love a lot lately. So much that I have been giving more, loving others more, listening to what people say more, being there for my friends more, buying random people who live on the street some milk and mandazis once a week, just to see the smile on their face. Sharing the love of Christ. I do it because I think of what Christ did for me, and as a Christian, what I believe in. I am alive, I am made new, just because the son of God chose to come down to my level and give His life in exchange of mine. Why them, would I not share this love with others? Even your significant other; Loving them, bearing with hem, understanding them, and making them happy, sharing happiness, sacrificing for them, reciprocating and appreciating what they do.

 

As we remember the death and resurrection of Christ for us, the author and finisher of our faith as Christians, share some love, and strive for unconditional love.

Happy Easter from Njeri Kareithi’s Desk.

Facebook:  Njeri Kareithi

Twitter: @deekareithi

Read More