Rolistance

‘Don’t fancy me a sheep in wolf skin. Nay, don’t fancy me a sweet soul. I’m neither. I’m as savage as could be and what with me telling you this, I just want the best for you. If you pay heed, you’ll be doing good to tour person.’ said I.

Catherine sobbed. ‘Nay. Permit me to live the lie. I love my own version of you and I believe that by damning yourself thus far, you’re only going to extremities to push me away’

I sighed. I had the mind to say yes just to get her off her wailing, but I hadn’t the heart to assign her to a life of eternal misery and torment. ‘Nay, Catherine. Go to your Father’s house wherein live people that will genuinely love and cherish you. As I said, and as I repeat, I’m a brute, I’m a beast. Even then, I dare not fancy to be the cause of your misery. Nay, Catherine. Make haste and be away to yonder father.’ With that said, I turned, hauled myself onto my stallion and without a second glance at the wailing creature, galloped away.

A few days after that incident, I sat in the kitchen eating pancakes. My eyes were glued to the boiling kettle on the stove but my mind was full of Adele. I was running mad, aye. I never had a rest and the more I tried to shut her out, the more I thought about her.

Mom, who sat on a stool in the conner knitting had sensed my morose mood and hadn’t said a word. We heard a knock on the door. She abandoned her knitting and went to the door. A moment later, she returned with Samuel. ‘Chester, your friend is here.’

My eyes locked with Samuel’s and I forced a smile. He just shook his head and inquired about my health.

‘I’m faring quite well.’ was my response.

He swirled and posed, causing Mom to raise an eyebrow.
‘How do I look? Have I changed?’

I rolled my eyes at his attempt to lighten the mood.

Apparently, “You look beardy” wasn’t the answer he was seeking for.

He glowered at me. ‘We need to talk.’

I shrugged. ‘Upstairs then.’

We headed up and as soon as he had closed the door behind us, he nudged me in the ribs a little too painfully. I pretended to not mind.

‘Why did you do that?’ he asked.

I stared at him. ‘Do what?’

He groaned. ‘Catherine, huh? Come on, speak up.’

I edged towards my messy bed. ‘Catherine what? I know Catherine, what have I got to do with her though?’
He stuffed his hands into his pockets. ‘Why did you blow her off like that?’

I shrugged a shoulder. ‘Cut the crap, aye. I don’t love her. I can’t lead her on. Plus, I’m not all up for love at the moment.’

He stared at me curiously. ‘Not all up for it, huh? Could there be another reason? A certain Adele, to be precise?’
I just stared at my carpet and said nothing.

Samuel sighed. ‘Ches, one whole month, one goddamn month, one whole goddamn month, and you’re still grieving over Adele? It’s common knowledge that she is dating Iris Rollins. Stop breaking your own heart and forget her.’

I felt my lower lip tremble and feared that I was going to cry. I felt the tears well up in my eyes but I refused to let them spill.

Samuel placed his arm around my shoulder and ruffled my hair. ‘It’s okay, Ches. It’s okay to cry. Let it all out. Don’t keep it in.’

That was all I needed. I let the tears roll down my cheek and didn’t even try to wipe them off. Ever since Adele made it clear that I and her were never going to happen, I had tried to be strong and barricade my emotions in. I even tried to bury them but they somehow managed to resurface. At this moment, I just needed a release. I needed to cry my eyes out. I freed myself of Samuel’s embrace and curled up on the bed sobbing.

As I stared at the gravestones around me, I could help replaying the encounter between Adele and the strange boy in my head over and over again. He had looked all to familiar but I was sure I had never seen him anywhere before. I bent down to pick up a lily on the somewhere wet ground and my cellphone vibrated. I ignored the lily and reached for the phone instead. It was a message from Adele. Mom had also called about four times. Four times! What was amiss? I called her back and she picked up in an instant.

‘Iris, where in the world are you?’ she asked.

‘Close by.’ I mumbled. ‘Is anything the problem?’

‘Everything is the problem!’ she exclaimed irritably. ‘Come home immediately.’

‘Right.’ I said and started hurrying home. I stopped in mid track a few inches away from the lynch gate and gasped. ‘Oh my! It’s the boy!’ I recalled when I was in a trance and had visited a certain Victorian house and that same Chester boy had been messing around with a younger girl whom I assumed to be his little sister. Why had it taken me so long to remember?

I ran at full pelt to the grocery store and found Ben seated on a bench just outside. His eyes lit up as soon as I approached. I bet he thought I was there for gossip.

‘Look who came! Me youngling! Yer takes ages ter come check o’ ol’ Ben, don’ yer?’

I smiled apologetically. ‘Been busy, Ben. How have you been?’ I asked but didn’t wait for an answer. ‘Where does Chester live?’

‘Chester Hayes, yer mean?’ he asked.

I hardly knew the boy’s surname but nodded anyway. He gave me directions and as soon as he had finished, I thanked him and sauntered off. I had a thing or two to settle with Chester Hayes.

A few whiles ago, I and my best friend Donah woke up one morning and looked at each other. ‘Gym it is.’ she said.

‘Aye.’ I nodded.

After dressing up, we jogged to the nearest gym and started with the treadmill. In the space of just three minutes, she was already grumbling and cursing the devil for reminding her that gym exists. I listened to her with a grin plastered on my face, wondering if she could get any lazier. Just as I was about to turn and ask her to shut up, she nudged me and nodded to the gym entrance.

I wondered how she had got off the treadmill so fast. When I turned towards the entrance, I saw a small old lady get in with a backpack. Our eyes met and I smiled. She smiled back and I turned to get back onto the treadmill.

‘What’s she doing here?’ asked Donah.

I turned and studied the lady. ‘She’s in sneakers, sweatpants and a vest. She obviously came to work out.’

Donah shook her head. ‘She’s supposed to be at home watching television.”

I frowned. That wasn’t the right thing to say ever, ever.

‘I mean, she’s too old and frail for gym.’

I looked back at the old lady. She was lifting weights. I turned back to Donah and grinned. ‘Can you carry that?’

Her face flushed. ‘Well, you see…….’

‘Shut up and mind your business then.’ I said then jumped onto the treadmill.

At least the possibility of the old lady breaking a hip was nil. And, stereotyping isn’t nice. I plenty well know that working out is good for all age groups. I don’t much about old age, but I pretty well know that we shouldn’t poke our nose in what other people do. Aye, if only we minded our business, the world would be a better place.

It’s sad how the majority of my counterparts aren’t taking Coronavirus seriously. This chant of “Corona is not for blacks” should come to end. Each and every one of us needs to understand that it is a global problem. COVID-19 is a worldwide problem and we all need to be cautious. It shouldn’t be entirely up to the medical sector to curb its spread. Not at all. Prevention ought to start with the public, and this can be done by minding the “minor” things that most people take for granted.

We understand that you have to show affection to each other but for your and the world’s sake, don’t hug or kiss or whatever else you might be doing. It’s not being mean. It’s doing everyone else a goddamn favor. By keeping the virus off, you’ll be playing a big role in curbing the virus’ spread. Every one person matters.

Wash your hands not just after visiting the toilet, but at all times.

Avoid unnecessary shaking of hands. Just a bow, a wave or a nod will do. Better safe than sorry.

Wear a facemask. It’s not showing off or whatever. It actually is looking out for yourself and everyone else around you. Let the ignorant mock you but you’ll be doing them a favor.

Try your level best to eat foods rich in Vitamin C. That tomato you hardly spare a second glance will do you a lot more good than you’d wager. Sweet potatoes, kiwi fruits, broccoli, cauliflower, strawberries and papaya will also help you out.

Keep home and isolate yourself.

Try your hardest to avoid touching your nose, mouth and eyes with unwashed hands. You never know what deadly germs got stuck onto your palms.

Just a cough, a sneeze or a running nose should be enough to send you wailing to the doctors. Once again, better safe than sorry.

If you feel slightest bit feverish, don’t dismiss it with a simple “ahem”. Seek medical attention. It’s a two-way matter. Isolate yourself from the public and your family might have to suffer through. Go out in the public and that will threaten national safety. Get yourself tested.

The medical sector is working so hard and we need to up our game and assist them. What better way to assist them than to listen to them and take their advice seriously?
Help them, as they are helping you.
COVID-19 is a GLOBAL threat, it’s never restricted to so and so.
Prevention & safety starts with everyone of us. It starts with you, me, them, we, us.

Let’s fight this hand-in-hand.
Keep well.

It starts with you

#Rolistance

A lot of people are very frustrated with their lives, their families, their responsibilities, their wages and the list goes on. All that frustration wells up inside them and gradually turns into anger, bitterness. Naturally, they always search for outlets for their anger. Whereas some take to punching their pillow, their teddy bears or the wall, others take it as far as either inflicting harm on themselves or hurting others. Don’t be so surprised if one fine evening your spouse returned home from work and started yelling at you. Either someone/thing at work probably pissed them off or things with their fiance are not doing well. They will probably vent it out on the most vulnerable of creatures they come across, say, the beggar down the street, their pets, a neighbor’s kid who trespassed on their premises, on their colleagues at work who by some stroke of fate happen to be below them or that poor housemaid who forgot to dust the chairs.

This sort of develops into an AVC. Anger Venting Chain.
The continuation of this chain solely depends on how any of the victims react. If the maid lets it affect her, she may bully her master’s kids who will in turn bully either their siblings, pets, friends or that quiet nerd at school whom no one seems to like.
YOU could be the ripple in the pond of change. Break this awful chain by keeping positive, keeping a cool head and protecting someone from feeling the way you did when you were under attack because at the end of the day, your peace of mind matters the most.

It starts with YOU

#Rolistance

Hello brethren. 🙏 Today, right now, I’ve written a piece on racism, discrimination, and stigmatism.

I have friends who are always being stigmatized, and I certainly have friends who are having a dreadful time dealing with racist comments. Oh, there are many dealing with these. Not just my friends. Numerous celebrities too. Yes, they have money, they have the fame, but racism, stigma and segregation are global problems. A fine example is Normani, a former Fifth Harmony member. She finally opened up to the public about what Camilla Cabello was doing to her. It wasn’t nice. Not one bit. Segregation isn’t nice, not one bit. And neither is stigma. Everyone’s feelings matter. You certainly aren’t promoting diversity and inclusion if all you do is go about making people feel small. You wouldn’t like it if someone told you that you have ugly teeth. Would you? No. Certainly not. Neither will your victims like it. Have some empathy.

On the other hand, a message to the victims. I’m not going to lie and say it’s easy to ignore all the racist attacks and discrimination, but I’m certainly going to tell you to NOT LET THEIR POINTLESS WORDS DEFINE YOU. Don’t try to make yourself feel safer by trying to be like them, trying to become them. Be yourself. Authenticity is the best comeback…in every, I repeat, EVERY situation. You’re lame? Goddammit! That shouldn’t define you either. You’re a complete person. An important person. You matter. There’s nothing wrong with being yourself.

Do yourself a favor and hold your head high. Do your thing. Be yourself. Be yourself. Yes, BE YOURSELF.

It starts with YOU.

#Rolistance

Writer’s block is a problem every writer not only deals with but actually HAS to deal with every once in a while.
I had it too. Had, not have because I got a solution that works just fine for me and I’m going to share it with you. It might work for you too. Who know? 💁 Let’s go, then!

Well, the secret is MUSIC. Yes, you heard that right. Music.

It’s not just about plugging in the ear pods or headsets and just nodding your head. It’s about paying really close attention to the words…to the message. Not just any music either. Swalla, despacito or taki taki will definitely distract you and before you know it, you’re on the carpet somersaulting.

Ok, my point is, try out meaningful music like Michael J’s “earth song” or “heal the world”. There’s a lot of ideas you could extract from these take for instance suffering, pain, destruction, patriotism. Let the words engulf you, try to relate and you might get an idea for your next move.

Not that this works for everyone. I won’t tell no lies here. 🙅 But since it works for me, it MIGHT work for you to. Once more, who knows? 💁

#writing
#Rolistance

‘Are you a virgin?’

Only goodness knows how much that question irks me. Wait. It didn’t always irk me but I’m asked it so much that I have to either grit my teeth or roll my eyes whenever I hear it. The most annoying was a conversation I had with a new friend. It went like:

‘Hey Anne. I have a question to ask you.’ he said. (Those I have a question to ask yous spell doom. 😂)

I figured it was something important and hence gave him my full attention. ‘Shoot.’

‘Are you a virgin?’ he asked.

I sighed. ‘Must I really answer?’ (I mean, what’s the point? Y’all virgins must by now know that at the end of the day, the questioner has his/her own answer. So, why respond? 💁)

‘Yes you must. I need to know.’ he replied.

I sighed dramatically. ‘Yes I am.’ (The look of disbelief on his face caught me a little off-guard. Almost gave me the giggles.)

You’re a virgin?’ he asked credulously. I nodded. ‘Why?’ (Personally, I think that “why” was so totally silly and unnecessary. I mean, that was my business, not his!)

I shrugged. ‘I sort of mastered the art of self-control.’

‘Why?’ he asked again. That was sort of hard but I didn’t have to answer. Just as I was thinking of an answer 🤔, he spoke up. ‘I mean, all your friends are not virgins. So, how could you be?’

This time round, I had to grin, and I did! ‘I’m not my friends, Francis, and my friends are not me. And for that matter, you don’t even know my friends. How do you know that they’re not virgins?’

He smiled sheepishly. ‘Well, everyone else is having sex. You too should.‘

I shook my head. ‘No, Franco. I do not do things just because everyone else is doing them. I do not follow the crowds. And I certainly do not listen to everyone’s jumbled opinions.’

He scratched his scalp and stared at me thoughtfully for a while, then ‘But, you’re twenty!’

‘That,’ I replied ‘is why I’m proud of myself. I did what most people have failed to do.’

After that, he chugged down his beer, actually gulped down ALL the contents of his mug, excused himself, ran to his car and exited the parking lot. I haven’t heard from him yet. I wonder how he’s doing. Good, I hope. And I sure do hope that he did not drink beer that night just because he saw me drinking it.

The point is, the temptation to follow the crowd and make life easier for yourself, to fit in, may be great, but that doesn’t mean you can not overcome it. You’re your person. Stop trying to please other people by doing things you’re not comfortable with. Stop. Just stop it already.

It’s all about YOU, it all starts with YOU.

#Rolistance

‘Oh Anne, I’ve tried to figure myself out, tried to figure out who I am, what I’ll be, and who I was and when I sort of got the results, they just weren’t in sync with each other. I lost my head. I’m losing heart. My future looks bleak. I’m never gonna get me a wife. I’m gonna disappoint my family. I’m not good enough. Never gonna be.’ complained Malcolm while pacing back and forth and looking very frustrated.

I stared up at him for a while then said ‘Take a deep breath.’

‘No Anne. I breathe everyday. It don’t change nothing.’ he snapped.

I kept my cool though. I knew what he was going through…I’d been there before. ‘Ok, Malcolm. Ok. You’re stressed out. I understand that. A fat percentage of the human race are stressed out. It’s nothing new. Just tell me one thing. Do you want my advice?’

He stopped in his tracks and looked down at me a little irritably. ‘Words don’t help, Anne.’

‘For your information, they can. Certainly. Absolutely. But that didn’t answer my question. Do you want my advice?’

He stared down at me for a minute looking quite unsure, then nodded and shrugged. ‘I guess so.’

‘Have a sit then.’

He sank into the sofa facing me.

‘Take a deep breath.’ I repeated.

He looked ready to protest but then must have thought better of it because he breathed in deeply, massaged his temples and looked me in the eyes. He had calmed down a bit. Every bit counts anyway.

‘Ok, Malcolm. Care to break down the story for me, or it’s confidential?’ I asked.

He shrugged a shoulder. ‘A bit of both.’

I smiled. ‘Shoot.’

‘Ok.’ he said, trying to regain his composure. ‘First off, I lost my job at the factory and my finances have sort of gone downhill. That made me think about my future, trying to figure it out and as far as I thought, I don’t have much of a future.’ I nodded and he continued. ‘Secondly, my girlfriend walked out on me. She literally told me that deep down in her bones, she felt that I’m not the right one for her. I can’t get it out of my head. I love her. I can give her the world.’

‘How far back was that?’ I interrupted.

‘Two years.’ he answered.

I wasn’t surprised. Back then, I pined for my ex four years straight. Nothing new to me. 😉 ‘Go on.’ I said.

‘She’s the one I want to marry. Now I know for sure that I’ll never have a wife.’ he said sulkily. I really fought the urge to raise an eyebrow. 👀 ‘And, all my friends look down on me because I have no money. My own family calls me a failure. That’s the story, Anne.’

I stared at him for a few minutes before taking in a deep breath and flashing him a smile. He never smiled back. No problem. He was sad. ‘That’s quite a story, Malcolm.’

‘Huh?’ he said.

‘I mean, it’s quite a story. Many have the same story to tell. Many have sorted it out quite tactfully. Then there are those who let themselves get so lost in the story that it destroyed them. They let it destroy them. It’s mostly up to you to choose how you wanna go about that story. But before I go any further, I have a few questions I’d like to ask you. Please co-operate. Will you?’

He gave me the slightest of nods. No problem, once again. 💆

‘So, Malcolm, how old are you?’ I said.

‘Nineteen.’

‘Do you live on your own?’

He shook his head. ‘No. With my parents.’

‘Ok. And school?’

‘In my first year at college.’ he said.

‘Wow! Okay.’ I said. ‘So, you’re in college and already stressing about having a wife. Why?’

He shrugged. ‘My friend left school and is now settled in a fancy house with his wife. Another is talking about the same thing.’

‘Ok. So you too wanna leave school and get married?’ he said nothing. ‘Is it because all your friends wanna marry?’ Nothing, again. ‘Is it because of the appeal of being accepted by your friends, by society?’ Nothing. ‘So, does that mean that I’m right.’

He nodded….well, sort of.

‘Ok. Listen to this carefully, Malcolm. I bet it’s not news to you, but, listen. Every dog has its day. Every animal has its own pace. You’re not gonna force a tortoise to bolt off as fast as a cheetah. If deep down you feel that you’re not ready for something as big as marriage, don’t force yourself into it. You’ll just be diving into a pool of stress, depression and self-destruction. Say, if the mere thought of marriage is stressing you out, imagine what it will be like if you actually get caught up in the real thing?’ His look changed to that of frustration. ‘Ok. Stop imagining. That’s just as stressing. What I’m trying to say is, if your friends wanna get married, let them. Marry when you’re okd enough, ready and capable of starting up and maintaining your own family. Just refrain from doing it because they are doing it, because you’ll be accepted in the gang. No. Being single is lit too. It’s great. It’s cool. Enjoy that luxury when you can.’

He nodded.

‘Now, about your break up. Does it still hurt?’

‘Hell yeah. A lot.’ he said.

‘Well, that’s because you’re holding on. You’re holding onto the memories you two created. All the sweet nothings you two whispered to each other. All the great moments you shared. The messages. You’ve failed to accept that it’s over. Let it go. Let the memories go. It’s rubbish🗑 that needs recycling♻️. You don’t have to recycle right after the break up, give it time. Leave it in the garbage can for a while. Mend. Heal. It will take time, but it will happen. Don’t let the past hold you back. Live in the present. You’re not a time traveler. Lmao. 😀’

‘Okay.’ he said.

‘Now. About your job and your career, I bet you’ve not yet even worked out what sort of career you want to pursue. Have you?’ I asked.

He shook his head. ‘No.’

‘Ok. You have some good time to figure that out. Mom’s feeding you. Mom’s roofing you. Mom’s paying for your tuition. Ok. It might be dad but, same thing. Both are your parents. Enjoy their company while you can. They ain’t gonna be around forever. Don’t be in such a hurry to quit them. Take baby steps in figuring out and working towards your future. Don’t overdo it. Unless you’re a fan of stress, and I bet you aren’t.’

He laughed. By that time, he was very much relaxed and quite cheerful. I don’t know what exactly had done the trick, but he thanked me profusely, shook my five, then rushed out the door. A week later, he called me on phone and sounded pretty excited. ‘Anne, it worked. Your advice has worked! I can feel the stress dwindle.?

Ok. That was quick but as I said, every dog has it’s day.

Go easy on yourself. Don’t complicate your life by over thinking out anything and everything .

It starts with YOU.

#Rolistance

“Row, row, row your boat. Row, row, row your boat. Gently down the stream. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily. Life is but a dream.”

Thanks for singing that with me. Really, means a lot to me. Reminds me of way back in pre-school when we would sing it like thrice a day. But we were too young to understand the actual meaning of that song and, let’s admit, it’s a little bit more than just a song. In a way, it defines how life has to be…..and maybe what you choose to make it. Confused 😖? 😉 Gotcha! Let me explain in detail. But, as we jump into the explanations, let’s etch an important point to our minds and hearts; it starts with YOU, it’s about you. One, two three. Ready? Let’s go.

“Row, row, row your boat”. It’s YOUR boat, YOUR life. Row it. Take a hold of the oars, control them. Take control of your life. It’s up to you to either make it a good experience or a bad one. Don’t let anyone else control your life for you. It’s you living your life, it’s you who understands it best. You’re your best boss. Never forget that. YOUR life is up to YOU.

“Gently down the stream”. Go easy on yourself. Don’t complicate things for yourself by underestimating yourself, trying to solve other people’s problems, letting others control you, holding on to a painful past/memory, smoking your lungs to cinder, or over thinking irrelevant scenarios. Be positive. Instead of saying, “Its too hard. I can’t make it.”, say, “I love challenges. Let me take this bitch by the horns and show her who’s boss 💪”.

“Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily”. Be cheerful, not glum and gloomy. Enjoy your life before it’s squeezed out of you. Keep away from people who dampens your days/moods. Surround yourself with happy people. They’ll most likely than not share their happiness with you. Who likes terrible looking deep wrinkles anyway? Not you? Good. Smile, grin, smirk, laugh like a creep, do whatever. Just keep happy.

“Life is but a dream”. There! It’s now out. If you’ve been taking life too seriously and stressing yourself the hell out, first pause. Are you planning to take all those millions of dollars with you to the grave? How do you like complicating your life? You don’t like it? Great. Life is just a dream that one day/night you’re never gonna visit again. One moment, you’re a sweet toddler sucking on mommy’s tits, the next you’re an old snooty elderly poking the edge of your umbrella into everyone’s ribs, and the next you’re just nothing in nothingness. Move with the flow of life, be down-to-earth, mind your business, then depart the world quietly.

It starts with YOU.

#Rolistance

Once upon a time, I was a kid. We were all once kids. You too? 😧 Looks like you were popped out all grown. 🤔 My bad. I beg your pardon. Where was I? Oh yes, I was once a kid. So, there was nothing really special about me except for the fact that I was hard of hearing. I didn’t even know I was special until I overhead one teacher telling the school janitor that I’m a special case…😢😂😂🤔

As a kid, I never liked mingling with other kids. They’d always be ranting on and on about how they’d lost a tooth the previous night or how their pampers were slipping right off their behinds. OK, they were too big for pampers then. But they were terrible naggers such that I actually started thanking God for the slight deafness I had. I’d just play dumb and say I could hardly hear a word because I’m DEAF!!! It’s quite true that everything has its positives and negatives. I won’t go into detail on that.

So, as a kid, I was most definitely a little crazy. Ok. Very crazy. Would place fresh mud onto the neighbors’ doorsteps at night and snicker in the morning whenever I heard that the neighbor had a bad fall on his way to work, to the grocery shop or any other place that neighbors go. I never stopped at that. Always wanted something from Mommy every two minutes. But you can’t blame me. I was just a naive and pathetic child then. It did not dawn on me until later that I was living under the roof of a single Mom. A woman who was destroyed in the blink of an eye and had to start afresh. But as I said, I was just a little prat with no idea.

One morning, I asked mom for money to buy a really great dress I had seen in one expensive boutique. Mom calmly informed me that she was low on cash at the moment. I was really frustrated and did what most spoiled kids do. I yelled, screamed, threw things every other where. I really did throw tantrums. Then I said ‘I hate you.’ to Mom. Her lack of a response forced me to look up at her and I saw a look on her face that I had never seen before. It was a look of sadness and guilt. I did not mind much. I was too pissed off. I angrily stomped out of the house and slammed the door behind me. It was quite gloomy outside andp was drizzling. As I walked down the street, I stopped near a street sign and saw a beggar in tattered jeans, barefoot, bare chested and shivering from the cold. I felt sad, then dropped the few coins in my pockets on the ground besides him. He muttered a thank you while watching me curiously. I then turned and started walking back home but stopped a few feet from the door. I had remembered what had transpired between me and mom plus the look that was on her face. It is a look I still remember quite well and never wish to see on any mother’s face. Or father’s, at that. Ever.

It dawned on me that I didn’t really need that dress. The man in the tattered jeans needed more than just dresses and a lot more that I came in easy for me.

And that is how, at such a young age, I started being content with whatever I had and instead of complaining, always thanked Mom for her efforts.

Be thankful for whatever you have. Someone out there needs it real bad but cannot access it because life hit it him/hard.

I’m now 20 years old. Every little think I get, be it a ‘how are you?’, I never forget to say thank you. Yes, thank you, God. Thank you, Mom. Thank you, life. Thank you, my friends. And, thank YOU, for reading this. ❤

#Rolistance