NOT JUST MASHUJAA DAY: Let’s celebrate one another
When asked whether heroes are born or made, I’ll choose to say today that they are celebrated. They are celebrated not because they ask for it, but because their heroic acts cannot go unnoticed. Every year, we set aside a day to commemorate and celebrate the heroes/mashujaa of the nation. We appreciate our founding fathers, the freedom fighters and all who have contributed to the well-being of the country in one way or the other. It is a good thing.
This is the day that most citizens collectively appreciate others for being people of resilience. We celebrate our parents, teachers, friends and so on. We search our diaries (a handful I guess) for any recorded plausible happenings. Service providers like Safaricom call us their heroes and even refund the credit we spend this day on celebrating others. Even banks will thank us for being loyal customers and encourage us to spend more on celebration, to their advantage. I find it humorous in a way but who doesn’t love being celebrated, anyway?
Let’s celebrate one another, not just on mashujaa day. You may wait for mashujaa day to appreciate someone who won’t even make it there (God forbid) because tomorrow is not a promise. Some of us have the habit of calling our loved ones who passed on our heroes when we never said anything positive to them while they lived. That’s hypocritical.
Celebrate them now. Congratulate them now. Some heroes are lying dead inside of us because they have not been awakened. It only takes an encouragement to build someone up. Recognizing people’s efforts, rewarding good performance and celebrating their little steps. A simple well done will go a long way.
When I was in primary school, my father told me that I had the potential to study up to Sweden. I don’t know why he said that, but I started believing in myself gradually. I dreamt of flying, my performance in class improved and I ended up studying in Ukraine (not far from Sweden ha ha ha). The power of motivation cannot be understated. We are all heroes and heroines in our unique ways, and we have the power to awaken the heroes in others.
Many a time we admire people’s achievements secretly. We wonder how they are able to do what they do. What we do not know is that if we congratulate them and let them know they are admirable, they could open up and share some ideas with us. Genuinely celebrate them, not with hidden motives. When we appreciate people we give them energy to do more or even ignite the sleeping giants in them.
In so doing, we create a good environment for heroes and brotherhood to bloom and enmity to gloom. Then we can join each other in celebrating the heroes we have made. Impossible is nothing.
Happy Mashujaa day to All Kenyans, Home and Away.
By Liz Ekakoro: Diaspora Messenger contributor
