TO THE ANCESTORS

Do you think of your ancestors – Ancestors dead and living that made you who you are today? I find that as I outgrow being young, I think of the ancestors -the  ancient,  modern and immediate that influenced my  life, my decisions, my world view, that helped defined the person I am today and shaped my life’s direction. Whether it was a great fortuitous positive influence, or whether it was a painful negative drawback, somehow the ancestors - a random encounter with Spirits you did not choose to impact your life,  are a part of who you are today! Involuntarily, they have made you be the person you like or don’t like to be here and now.

As I sit in my kitchen this evening, I started thinking about those ancestors that influenced my life.  My ancestors were not ancient or modern…they are more immediate, far removed only one to two generations away. My grandfather, who was a man ahead of his time, even before feminism was “in vogue” and believed that only through education can a girl child, especially an AFRICAN  girl child, expand the options of her universe, and thus imprinted that virtue in my DNS, my mind, even my skin, from as way back as I could remember. As a result today I stand here with a PhD after doing it twice! Yes twice! Having finally conquered as a Warrior of higher education in the battlefield prejudiced against mature post graduate students! Because of him, I have the privilege of choice and know that no matter what my destiny I will survive!

I think of my brilliant father, who never went to college; could not go to college even if he had wanted to, because the chains of extended family responsibility consumed him, but who despite his own smoldered dreams, empowered me, gave me my tenacity and my voice! Who taught me about the world of power – covert and overt – how to manage it; how not to abuse it or toy with it; and how to stand up to it no matter what the circumstances! My ancestor father, who also taught me never to swallow my soul and told me that it was okay to explore the options of my universe as long as I understood and accepted that there was the price to pay for that choice as long as the price be worth the salvation; Who preached the wisdom of his philosophies and told me that civility is not a sign of weakness, and taught me to brighten the corner where ever I was and not wait for some deed of great at some point in time! For both my maternal and paternal grandmothers who showed me by example and without words not to settle for anything less and thus taught me to wait till the right one comes along, and the right one comes along!

And for my living ancestor, my Mhamha, who with her intelligence could have become a Samurai in any profession she choose, yet embraced being  an RN because other choices were not within her reach because she was born a generation too soon. Instead she is a Samurai in her duty as a mother and her faith such that she banked so many prayers for me and my siblings, my blessings continue to overflow. By watching her example, she taught me about the power of faith! Thus I do acknowledge one timeless ancient ancestor - above all else my Almighty, who shows me every day that only through faith are all things possible.

I say thanks to the Ancestors for being the Spirits that made me to be the person I like ME to be today.

Copyright @ March 3, 2011 by Dr. Tendai Ndoro begin_of_the_skype_highlighting  end_of_the_skype_highl(DocNdoro) – Founder, SLIPPA/Brighten The Corner Foundation; CEO EDCTrainers, LLC.