If an ounce of caution is worth a pound of cure, what is gratitude worth? “Thanks a million,” is a phrase I use daily. Thank you for taking the time to visit my web-site; supporting my work; and giving me invaluable feedback.
This journey we call life and living has given me the opportunity to interact with so many good persons. I am grateful for these chance encounters. There are so many persons I have to thank. The numbers must be in the thousands. Our lives are filled with luck. In my mind luck means: Love Unconditionally with Courtesy and Kindness. You may notice this line in one of the poems.
We live in a continuum of yeses and noes. Subsequently, the choices, interactions and unintended consequences take over: fate, happenstance, or good fortune. That one cold day in March, I made a simple left turn instead of a right turn on Woodward Avenue in Detroit, Michigan with no map or cell phone and kept driving. I got thoroughly lost and absorbed everything as I drove. Determined with an inkling, a willingness, to explore and discover led me to my sweetheart. A simple application led me to a whole new world and lifestyle. If we choose to, we can trace this myriad of choices that culminate into the fabric of living.
Please consider the following scenario and assumptions. Then, perhaps, we can earnestly answer this question: Are we not a happy, lucky bunch? The gift of life is recognizing all the beautiful souls we encounter in our short lives. Now, as a practicing mathemagician (I love mathematics and numbers), here are some numbers. Assume the simple work time line: 15 years with 50 work weeks comprising 5 days during the week will result into a figure of 3,750 working days or 30,000 working hours.
Conservatively, consider that each one of us interacted with about 30,000 persons and made at least one person smile or laugh in each hour of work. You be the judge. Radiantly, let us laugh and smile with one another with no expectations in return: a fairly simple mutual exchange will brighten our days as we create the Smile Brigade.
My hope and goal is to share my life experiences with you. My observations of life are unique, but common. My desire is to question our actions by reviewing, remembering, and tracing the choices of our actions and/or inactions. Our Swahili culture is universally rich with timeless proverbs, parables, sayings, and virtues. We are constantly reminded about the good things in life. A fundamental lesson is about becoming who we are meant to be.
My ultimate goal is best described by legendary race car driver, Lyn St. James, in the book, “Oh, By the Way… (A letter from my mother).” These are Lyn’s words: “Pearls of wisdom that are given and valued should be shared. I want to share this letter from my mother with you and I hope you’ll share it with your loved ones.” Our desire is that you will also share the gift of the Swahili culture with your loved ones, too. Swahili hope helps all.
For those we love and cherish; for the one who ardently guide and share her or his luck coupled with hope at times when we need it the most. It takes one to reach one, it takes one to teach one.
With much love and appreciation: ahsante sana... thank you very much indeed!
Alin