Shame on all of us out there who are quick to mourn the death of Chadwick Boseman, but fail to recognise that there are people dying every day in our families and neighbourhood. Do we all know what killed the Black Panther star? Cancer!
Yes cancer is real and it kills every day, both old and young, male, female, good people, bad people, rich, poor, celebrities, ordinary folks, homosexuals, heterosexual etc.
Are we aware that there are persons suffering from cancer and other terminal illnesses in our family, neighbourhood and community right now?
Do we care to ask about the welfare and state of health of those with whom we are bound by blood?
How often do we sit down to ask ourselves how we got to where we are today, to recognise, acknowledge and show appreciation to those who played a role in our physical, mental, emotional and religious growth in life?
Do we know there are people who, no matter how much we try to deny their existence, we must carry in our consciousness till we die?
Death is a necessary, inevitable end to all life, so sooner or later, we will all die, one after the other some day.
Even as we read this message, there is already someone, somewhere unknown to any of us, but one of us who read it, that will be the next to die?
It could be me, it could be you, it could be someone else, but it is certain.
That is the mystery of life, there is always a next person.
It is never too late to forgive whatever hurt we may have experienced that we attribute to someone. So we must show love to those we ought to love and those around us who need to be loved. Pick up the phone today and make that one call which will normalise strained relationships with someone that has played a role in your life. Stand up, walk across the street and say hello to that neighbour who for no particular reason, you ignore. Perhaps that’s just what the person needs right now to lift up his or her spirit.
There could possibly be no pain or misery in life, greater than to lose someone we know to death, then realise afterwards that we missed forever, that chance to settle whatever differences we may have had. Imagine if you die today, are you willing to carry into eternity, the enmity, bitterness, hatred and malice you presently harbour in your heart?
Let’s be our own judge and free ourselves while we are still alive . We will not live forever, so why all the stress?
Avoid becoming a miserable son or daughter of misfortune. Let us change our ways today and may God help us take that critical first step.
One Love!
By Victor Oshioke