Happy Friday, All!
We made it again … so … T.G.I.F.!
It seems to me that it has been a long week! How about for you?! I mean, there were parts of the country with snow over the past few days, other parts with seasonable weather … like New York, and here in South Florida we’ve had deluges of rain. In fact, the rain had gotten so powerful yesterday that there was a temporary tornado watch set by the weather specialists! It was cancelled early last evening. Mother Nature still rules!!!
May is an important month in my life in general since my mother’s birthday is on the 20th – R.I.P. Some years, I celebrate her birthday … quietly, amongst friends and family, for the whole month! I mean, when my birthday hits in July, I often find myself being grateful and enjoying myself and others for a full month, too! How about you?! So, I await the festivities to well up in my spirit to celebrate Marietta Dolores’s birthday!!
Have you ever had those moments in your life when you weren’t exactly sure what to do? I mean, doing nothing is NOT the proper response to being given this gift called life. There were some all time favorite movies with that theme going back to comedian Richard Pryor’s “Jo Jo Dancer”, which in essence, was the story of his life – a comedian who faced a near death drug induced experience by setting himself on fire while free-basing cocaine. His lesson was to grab this life with the gift he’d been given, ’cause “Life is calling”!
How about the catchy phrase in Swahili, “Hakuna Matata”, which was actually contained within a song in another all time favorite movie of mine, which I saw for the first time with my mother and my then baby daughter – Ayanna Lynne (Ayanna is also Swahili for “beautiful flower” or “Spring time”)? The translation for “hakuna matata” is actually “No Worries!”, though many people have their own spin on those dancing and singing animal’s “theme song” from that touching film! How are you handling those moments when life is clearly calling you?! Many people have found ways to answer that call. Yet, the simplest way is to help others, “be a light unto each other”, if you will. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy or expensive, though those are not bad things when kept in perspective. It can be something as simple as a kind word or an unexpected “I love you!” to a friend or another person, maybe a donut like a co-worker gave me yesterday on the job. The key is … don’t expect or look for anything in return … it is a kind of “paying it forward” type of philosophy.
Whatever you do, listen for that call from “life”, answer it, and find your contribution in a positive way … be it a big way or a smaller every day way … like holding the door for someone, whether they say thank you or not! Have a wonderful Friday and an extra special weekend. As a matter of fact, many of us have borrowed the Mexican celebration of “Cinco de Mayo” as an excuse to be festive, celebrate, some drink beer while others just dance and sing! “Hakuna Matata”, y’all! Life is calling! Namaste.
Peace,
John I. Cook, Director
Educational Excellence 