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The Queen Elizabeth
Queen Elizabeth; a symbol of courage and optimism
No matter where life takes us, a mother’s love and guidance can help us become secure, compassionate, and contributing individuals. Few if any mothers feel they measure up to that accolade. Yet their love and influence are undeniable. And that is why we honour them. A mother’s love can be so powerful that it can influence a child, a family, a community, and even a nation.
Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor is a good example. By title, she was Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms Her royal position could have made her aloof and out-of-touch with the people. But history says otherwise. For good reason, the Brits endearingly called her the Queen.
During the Second World War, England faced relentless aerial bombing; even Buckingham Palace was hit in the raids. Officials urged the queen to flee to Canada, but she refused to leave the land and people she loved. She became the symbol of the British fighting spirit, inspiring her subjects to courage and optimism.
The queen willingly sacrificed along with her people. She participated in food rationing, used space heaters to conserve fuel, and allowed only one bare bulb to light each room at Windsor Castle. She frequently visited bombed-out areas, offering hope to those whose lives were buried in rubble.
Sounds like a mother, doesn’t it? On the front lines and battlefields of life, they can rally the best in us. They build with courage, sacrifice, dedication, determination, and service—and above all, love.
Perhaps Queen Elizabeth’s second most remarkable gift is her ability to understand the nature of men and women. In a 1954 broadcast the Queen inspired listeners by assuring them that “the upward course of a nation’s history is due in the long run to the soundness of heart of its average men and women.”
No single leader, no matter how influential, can do it all. While one person can make a difference, real change the kind that lifts a nation, occurs when each effort is multiplied. In this country we look often to those on whom the light falls most frequently; perhaps more than we should. By moving the spotlight just a little, we find people like Jethro Mann of Belmont, North Carolina. The children in his neighbourhood call him “The Bicycle Man,” because for years Jethro has maintained a collection of bicycles for children who can’t afford them. Any child can check out a bicycle, but they must return it by four o’clock that evening. If they don’t, they can’t use a bike the next day. That’s Jethro’s way of teaching responsibility.
Jethro may seem alone in his effort, but he’s not. In another town a man in a wheelchair repairs bikes for free. Another man refurbishes used bikes and gives them to needy children. Apparently there are “bicycle men” everywhere, mending broken smiles with a little elbow grease.
These are not men of royal birth, but average people with sound hearts who have become something quite special to thousands of children. The world is full of these ordinary men and women who daily open their hearts to others in extraordinary ways. These are the ones who through small but meaningful efforts are changing the course of nations.
May we each so live that our lives reflect the powerful influence of our lives on others and we don’t have to be royalty to do so.
By Samuel Enos Eghan
Email: samueleghan@gmail.com
One of the issues we have been grappling with as a nation is corruption, and it has had such a devastating effect on our national development. I have been convinced that until morality becomes the foundation upon which our governance system is built, we can never go forward as a nation.
Our traditional practices, which have shaped our cultural beliefs, have always espoused values that have kept us along the straight and the narrow and have preserved our societies since ancient times.
These are values that frown on negative habits like stealing, cheating, greediness, selfishness, etc. Our grandparents have told us stories of societies where stealing was regarded as so shameful that offenders, when caught, have on a number of instances committed suicide.
In fact, my mother told me of a story where a man who was living in the same village as her mother (my grandmother), after having been caught stealing a neighbour’s cockerel, out of shame committed suicide on a mango tree. Those were the days that shameful acts were an abomination.
Tegare worship, a traditional spiritual worship during which the spirit possesses the Tegare Priest and begins to reveal secrets, was one of the means by which the society upheld African values in the days of my grandmother and the early childhood days of my mother.
Those were the days when the fear of being killed by Tegare prevented people from engaging in anti-social vices. These days, people sleeping with other people’s wives are not uncommon.
These wrongful behaviour was not countenanced at all by Tegare. One was likely going to lose his life on days that Tegare operates, and so unhealthy habits like coveting your neighbour’s wife was a taboo.
Stealing of other people’s farm produce, for instance, could mean certain death or incapacitation of the whole or part of the body in the full glare of everybody. People realised that there were consequences for wrongdoing, and this went a long way to motivate the society to adhere to right values.
Imagine a President being sworn into office and whoever administers the oath says, “Please say this after me: I, Mr. …., do solemnly swear by God, the spirits of my ancestors and the spirits ruling in Ghana, that should I engage in corrupt acts, may I and my family become crippled, may madness become entrenched in my family, may incurable sicknesses and diseases be my portion and that of my family, both immediate and extended.”
Can you imagine a situation where a few weeks afterwards the President goes to engage in corrupt acts and we hear of his sudden demise or incapacitation and confessing that he engaged in corrupt acts before passing or before the incapacitation—and the effect it will have on his successor? I believe we have to critically examine this option to curb corruption.
My grandmother gave me an eyewitness account of one such encounter where a woman died instantly after the Tegare Priest had revealed a wrong attitude she had displayed during the performance on one of the days scheduled for Tegare spirit manifestation.
According to her story, the Priest, after he had been possessed by the spirit, declared that for what the woman had done, he would not forgive her and that he would kill. Instantly, according to my grandmother, the lady fell down suddenly and she died—just like what happened to Ananias and his wife Sapphira in Acts Chapter 5.
NB: ‘CHANGE KOTOKA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO KOFI BAAKO
By Laud Kissi-Mensah
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Emotional distortions can indeed have a profound impact on an individual’s mental health and well-being. These distortions can lead to a range of negative consequences, including anxiety, depression, and impaired relationships.
Emotional surgery is a therapeutic approach that aims to address and heal emotional wounds, traumas, and blockages. This approach recognises that emotional pain can have a profound impact on an individual’s quality of life and seeks to provide a comprehensive and compassionate approach to healing.
How emotional surgery can help
Emotional surgery can help individuals:
Identify and challenge negative thought patterns: By becoming aware of emotional distortions, individuals can learn to challenge and reframe negative thoughts.
Develop greater emotional resilience: Emotional surgery can help individuals develop the skills and strategies needed to manage their emotions and respond to challenging situations.
Improve relationships: By addressing emotional wounds and promoting emotional well-being, individuals can develop more positive and healthy relationships with others.
The benefits of emotional surgery
The benefits of emotional surgery can include:
Improved mental health outcomes: Emotional surgery can help individuals reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Enhanced relationships: Emotional surgery can help individuals develop more positive and healthy relationships with others.
Increased self-awareness: Emotional surgery can help individuals develop a deeper understanding of themselves and their emotions.
A path towards healing
Emotional surgery offers a promising approach to addressing emotional distortions and promoting emotional well-being. By acknowledging the impact of emotional pain and seeking to provide a comprehensive and compassionate approach to healing, individuals can take the first step towards recovery and improved mental health.
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BY ROBERT EKOW GRIMMOND-THOMPSON
