Tag Archives: Courage

Hidden Tears in a Jar of Clay

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Hidden tears in a jar of clay

Rotten bones in a palace

Cold hearts in a sandstorm

Hopes are eaten in a day

Shadows of the past redeemed

Shame dancing for free

What else can go wrong?

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Sorrows have the strength of a fig

Hopes the leg of iron

Hearts live forever in the dreams of men

Air is free and unshakable

Earth will regrow.

Everyone you meet is fighting a secret battle. Let’s be kind.

S.S.David

The poems above are a series of contrasts and paradoxes which show the fragility of human existence and the assertion that we are all subject to eventual death, despite our best efforts to protect ourselves. And if we know that, shouldn’t that inform how we live? Shouldn’t we be kind to ourselves and others? Knowing that one day, we’ll move on from this part of heaven?

The second part of the stanza reveals themes of strength and resilience in the face of sorrow and adversity, and after destruction or decay, new growth and life will emerge. This poem played into the unfolding tragedy in Turkey and Syria, where over 17,000 people have sadly died. I know the raw emotions and despair of losing a loved one, but time heals all wounds, and I pray that anyone reading this will hold on to hope despite their adverse circumstances.

My love and prayers to the people of Turkey, Syria, Ukraine, and other parts of the world where there are suffering. Everyone is fighting a secret battle, let’s be kind.

Earth will regrow, and the sun will shine again.

Much love, always. 🙂

2021 is a Year of Possibilities

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Everyone knows how difficult 2020 has been and I won’t keep writing about that, but things are still so difficult for so many people. Anxieties, fear, loss and uncertainties pervaded the seconds, days, and months of that dreaded year.
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There’s hope again. I believe in renewal and second chances and that is the reason we have new days. In a few hours, we will walk into the unknown that is 2021 and my prayer is that we will breathe freely and live with fresh hopes.

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It’s time for a positive outlook. I believe it. I have not made any new year resolutions, but I have a vision of what I want to achieve. Here’s to a year of possibilities friends, believe it and let’s work into 2021 with hope in our hearts, strength in our bones, and dreams in our eyes.

Happy New Year to you all. 🙂

Much love, always! 🙂

Patience

 
 
 
(Photo credit: Lizabee. The beginning )
 
 
(Photo credit: Lizabee – The end. The artist spent hours working on this stunning image.)
 

Life is in stages. 

Just like an artist drawing a picture, the images always come in a sequence of thoughts, and then the sketching takes place followed by shading the lines to bring the perfect vision to life.

Books are the same. A writer has an idea and as the story takes shape, unfolds, and the plots unravel, we see the overarching purpose of the book. But by the time we come to the climax of the story, we can then exclaim with signs of relief. In some unresolved cases, it may cause pangs of disappointment.

Creative people, especially writers, are always keen to share their experiences through words using different genres to reach their audiences. Artists, writers, filmmakers, poets and everyone working in the creative industries all have a singularity of purpose; to reach audiences who would read, enjoy, and maybe critique their works.

 
But it all starts in stages.
 
Let’s learn from creators by not being in a hurry to reach our destination. Every experience in our lives has a purpose, to either break us down and make us better, or to build us up, and strengthen us, then we can be kinder to people in a weaker or similar state.
 
There are several reasons writers create, some write for themselves, but others write to teach us patience. Unfortunately, we live in the ‘now’ generation where we always want a quick-fix to everything.
 
If it were possible to get pregnant and the child will get to the stage of babyhood, then adulthood and leave our home before nightfall, some people would prefer that experience.
 
We should learn to find the reason things work, and the reasons some things don’t. And that takes patience and a lot of learning. Some school of thought might argue that some things are best when they happen at once, but where is the joy in savouring a tasty meal when you swallow it whole? Books could change our lives, and if it does, we should not forget the core themes in the narrative and the patience it took to write it.
 
A book that ends with the beginning, the middle, the end, teaches nothing. However, some people might still argue that it does.
 
Don’t be in a hurry. Patience is an important virtue we should all learn.
 
Much love, always! 🙂

Patience is the calm acceptance that things can happen in a different order than the one you have in your mind.” David G. Allen

David G. Allen

TIME

*Please visit my new website:

https://ssdfilms.wordpress.com/

It is packed with unseen footage of my new documentary ‘Chasing Humans’, I am also using the website for one of my Master’s degree course. I would be publishing new articles on it today and every fortnight. I would also appreciate any comment and discussion on the blog.*

Thank you, guys! 🙂

Artist John Seymour Lucas 1849-1923. Dated 1885

 

The world is still reeling from the effects of Coronavirus, here in the UK, we have the second-highest number of deaths in the world. It’s nothing to be proud of, it is heart-wrenching. I know a few people who have been affected by the passing of a loved one, believe me, it is not a good place to be.

Life is beautiful and challenging at the same time. When my dad passed away, I thought the world has come to an end, and when my family and friends consoled me with the fact that, time is a great healer, I didn’t believe them.

Is time really a healer? How do we tell the thousands of people who have lost loved ones that time heals? In my experience, time doesn’t stop the pain, even time cannot replace a loved one. Time can only give you the space to grieve and come to terms with their passing.

I think of my dad every day, just like that painting of the artist John Seymour Lucas, we can never replace time lost. It’s gone forever. However, we can cherish the memories, and hold them dear to our hearts.

As I was rummaging through the cellar today and found this precious painting of the artist Seymour Lucas, so we can check through our memories and find treasures of loved ones, who have been locked safely away bursting forth in our hearts. We can recapture times of joy, of laughter permeating through the fog of sadness, shining gloriously through the tears and sorrow.

TIME doesn’t heal, it helps us in our moment of weakness, to reclaim everything we hold dear.

Much love, always! 🙂

Chasing Humans: A Poetic Film

”Human life is as evanescent as the morning dew or a flash of lightning.’‘ – Samuel Butler. I agree because life and love is a journey. Find out more in this short documentary I wrote and directed with a friend.

 

Here’s a transcript of the film:

Life is a journey, and it starts with a cry… the cry of a new-born baby. It ends with moans, groans, or the contented sigh of an older man or woman who’s led a fruitful life.

Or it can end in running feet, a chase, a stab, searing pain, blood splattered on the sidewalk, the cold street receding away as a young life flitter away into nothingness…

A life cut short…

Humans are chasing humans and killing without thought or regard for the pains inflicted on unfamiliar people.

Life can end well, or, it may end in tragedy.

Twenty years ago, I got married to the man of my dreams, and two years later, I was in the hospital, in labour, and anticipating the birth of my son.

It was a complicated process. A short life, my son passed away two days after he was born.

My life stopped briefly.

I didn’t know how to process my grief. I cried every night, and I prayed every night.

Days passed. Time didn’t wait for my grief. And I healed with the love of my husband and family.

Three months later, there was a miracle.

I was pregnant again. This time, everything felt different, but I was hiding my fears. I smiled openly while I cried and cringed inside, wondering if the new life growing inside me would live, and survive.

Nine months later, I welcomed another son.
He lives. He’s kind and makes me laugh. He’s energetic and loves life. I had two more children, a daughter and another son.

My family means everything to me.

But something is wrong.

I’ve lived in London for over fifteen years, and every time there’s a young life wasted on the streets, I remember the child I lost.

Although my son died as a new-born baby and in different circumstances, I relive the pain every time I read or watch the news of another senseless killing of young people on our streets.

My eldest son is now 17. He’s brilliant and hardworking. He had one of the best GCSE results in his school, and he’s currently studying Medicine at A levels. He wants to be a doctor. Samuel wants to help and make our society a better place for everyone.

But should I be afraid anytime he’s out of the house? Or because of the colour of his skin?

Can I have hope that things will improve, and that love may conquer hatred, racism, anger and the ugliness inherent in the human soul?

My son believes in a better society, a better world.

Rafael Benedetti wants the world to see goodness in him. Fay Beneddeti intends to champion the course of women and family. These people are keen to see positive changes in our society.

Maybe, there is hope Afterall.

I won’t be afraid anymore.

Hope, no matter how fleeting is still better than fear.

Loving humans can be a reality while chasing humans could become a myth.

I hope love wins!

I want life to end well for our young people.

Let’s start from the beginning.

Seyi Sandra David.

 

The Theory Of A Second

 

(Photo credit: Flickr)

‘Never cut a tree down in the wintertime. Never make a negative decision in the low time. Never make your most important decisions when you are in your worst moods, Wait. Be patient. The storm will pass. The spring will come.’ Robert H. Schuller.

A second makes a year, and in fact, it makes a lifetime! When you calculate every second of our lives, add that to decisions we make in split seconds, and there, that’s our lives all tidied up and going in seconds. That’s all it takes to cross over to the New Year, just one second. And that got me thinking about decisions and the much-celebrated New Year’s resolutions.

We all have to make choices in life, and when doing that, that’s when the seconds ticked by. From the second we decide whom to marry, to the second we choose our careers to when we define our life goals, the seconds are counting.

We can make the seconds of our lives count by weighing up our options, and in the case of the young Saudi Arabian woman who renounced Islam and barricaded herself in a hotel in Thailand, she must have decided to run away within seconds. That decision will now change her life.

Thankfully, the UN has approved her refugee status, and Australia is keen to allow, and process Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun’s asylum application. This brave young woman made a decision that ultimately changed her life.

So whatever you do this year, make the seconds count!

It’s 2019 folks!!

Smile, It’s Christmas!

 

That Special Dream…

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‘A dream doesn’t become a reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.’ Colin Powell

Everybody has a dream, at least I think so. Some dreams are easy, go to work, come back home, take care of your kids, and you’re clean. Some dreams need getting used to; those kinds involve the lives of others, maybe a nation, a state, or a council.

Take Theresa May, for example, the nation is hooked on her decision, whatever happens with Brexit will go down in history. As a nation, we attach the success or failure of Brexit to the Prime Minister. As the country and the rest of the world waited with bated breath at the deliberations going on at Number 10, I wondered what the Prime Minister must be thinking. As a journalist, I wished I could ask for an interview and ask her how she felt to be in the eye of the storm. And as I penned these words, everyone at the cabinet meeting represents us. And what about the other side of this divorce process? The EU officials in Brussels are also having their meeting while they waited for the UK to announce the decision to either go with the draft agreement or dump it.

When the decisions you make can affect the lives of others, then you have a peculiar dream. You have to climb a pedestal to reach those kinds of dreams and if you fail? You take many people down with you. Those kinds of goals are unique. However, a parent doing two jobs, training her children to be outstanding citizens also deserves an accolade.

I love Oscar Wilde’s quote,

‘To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist that is all.’

You have to live to make a mark in the world, to make a difference. How can we live? How can we find our purpose in life? You can find your purpose in life when you find out what drives you. What do you love doing? My mum loves teaching, she eventually ended up as a teacher and later the head teacher. I have a cousin who loves taking care of sick people; she ended up being a doctor. She goes to the hospital with a smile on her face every morning because she’s found her purpose in life and that gave her the impetus to get up in the morning and make a difference in people’s lives.

I hate slavery of every form. Modern-day slavery, abuse of any kind makes my blood boil. I detest human trafficking and prostitution. I hate every form of injustice. However, how can I correct these anomalies? Through the written word, the dissemination of information. It’s what I call enlightening. People are always afraid of what they don’t know, but when there’s knowledge, a lot of wrongs could be rectified. I believe that’s one of my purposes in life.

A few years ago, on my way home from work, I went shopping. As usual, I bought more groceries than what was on my list. So instead of taking a bus home, I called a cab. Immediately I entered, the cab driver gave me a wide grin. I’ve had a rough day at work, and barely held it together until I got home, I was bone wearied, the epitome of exhaustion, so I wasn’t in a mood for a chat. But my cab driver looked relaxed and was beaming.

‘My name is Shan, Miss, what is yours?’ He asked throwing me a wide grin, and as his eyes darted to the car mirror, our eyes locked briefly. I gave a tired grunt.

I told him my name, and he kept on talking about how he loved London, going to the park with his family and relatives and how he loved his job.

Out of curiosity, I asked,

‘What’s your purpose in life?’

Without hesitation, he answered,

‘To make people happy, to make people glad they entered my cab.’

That caught me off-guard. I thought Shan would tell me about making money and being rich. That cab guy has found his purpose in life.

Have you?

 

The Grace of a Nightingale: An Odyssey Of Survival

 

photo of woman wearing white hat

Photo by Pete Johnson on Pexels.com

I had the wonderful privilege of reading an inspiring article on Arrow Gate’s website. The post was about a nonfiction book written by a woman with a big heart. Mary Anne Willow. Her memoir titled, ‘The Grace Of A Nightingale’ would be published soon.

Mary Anne touched on many things, depression, divorce, suicide, hope in the midst of despair and vaginal Mesh, a procedure recently suspended due to the complications many women faced when they had it done. You can’t hide what’s in your heart, and Mary Anne’s got lots to share with the world. Why not click on the link below and read about this? And maybe when the book’s out, you would all read the story of this awesome woman.

I can’t wait to see this memoir in print. It depicted the resilience of the human’s spirit. We need books like this in the world.

That’s all for now friends.

I hope we’ll all enjoy the rest of our weekend.

Much love, always! 🙂

via The Grace of a Nightingale: An Odyssey Of Survival

Walking The Green Mile

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‘The Green Mile’ is a 1996 serial novel written by the prolific writer Stephen King. I watched the movie a few days ago and the finality of the film astounded me. The film also expounded on living, healing, empathy, racism, supernatural, love, and friendship,

Someone once wrote that we’re all on death row, it’s a price we have to pay for being alive. The important thing is, have we lived at all?

Now today, I would like to write about living your life to the fullest. Which brought me to this song ‘Forever Young.’ I loved it when it came out, the only song by ‘Jay-Z’ that I understood, although I must confess I don’t know the lyrics to most of the rapping but it’s a song that filled me with nostalgic memories.

Growing up in the idyllic town of Ilorin in Africa, life was simple and filled with lots of laughter. There was this carefree attitude to things, I believed I would be forever young. I was a bookworm, if I wasn’t singing in the church choir, you’ll find me in choreography practice. I loved my growing-up years.

Now twenty-five years later, things I took for granted then are so important now. The fierce sun blazing relentlessly on my pale skin, the cold December month squeezing the blood out of my lips, running away from my mum after plundering the pantry, checking my dad’s room for loose coins, chasing after my cantankerous brothers, watching horror films with my favourite brother and, daydreaming about the future!

What did I miss? Oh yes, my first kiss! Oh, my! That was something else, and I won’t be getting into that now. I am discovering new memories; I am telling new stories with my family, friends, and people I associate with.

The thing with life and living is, every moment is significant, and we need to cherish it. As we walk down the green miles of our lives, let’s leave a jolly legacy.

I intend to do just that.

I believe everyone would have a wonderful Bank holiday, at least here in the UK. If you’re my friend and reading this from other parts of the world, have a blast this weekend! 🙂

Much love, always!