Short Moral Story… The Chicken.
The Chicken
Once upon a time, there was a large mountainside, where an eagle’s nest rested. The eagle’s nest contained four large eagle eggs. One day an earthquake rocked the mountain causing one of the eggs to roll down the mountain, to a chicken farm, located in the valley below. The chickens knew that they must protect and care for the eagle’s egg, so an old hen volunteered to nurture and raise the large egg.
One day, the egg hatched and a beautiful eagle was born. Sadly, however, the eagle was raised to be a chicken. Soon, the eagle believed he was nothing more than a chicken. The eagle loved his home and family, but his spirit cried out for more. While playing a game on the farm one day, the eagle looked to the skies above and noticed a group of mighty eagles soaring in the skies. “Oh,” the eagle cried, “I wish I could soar like those birds.” The chickens roared with laughter, “You cannot soar with those birds. You are a chicken and chickens do not soar.”
The eagle continued staring, at his real family up above, dreaming that he could be with them. Each time the eagle would let his dreams be known, he was told it couldn’t be done. That is what the eagle learned to believe. The eagle, after time, stopped dreaming and continued to live his life like a chicken. Finally, after a long life as a chicken, the eagle passed away.
The moral of the story: You become what you believe you are; so if you ever dream to become an eagle follow your dreams, not the words of a chicken.
I Have A Dream.. Martin Luther King
I Have a Dream – Address at March on Washington
August 28, 1963. Washington, D.C.
Watch the Full 16-min video of Martin Luther King’s famous I Have a Dream Speach
I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation. [Applause]
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of captivity.
But one hundred years later, we must face the tragic fact that the Negro is still not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize an appalling condition.
In a sense we have come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check which has come back marked “insufficient funds.” But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check — a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to open the doors of opportunity to all of God’s children. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.
It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment and to underestimate the determination of the Negro. This sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.
But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.
We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny and their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.
And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, “When will you be satisfied?” We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.
I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.
Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.
I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.”
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day the state of Alabama, whose governor’s lips are presently dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, will be transformed into a situation where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.
This is our hope. This is the faith with which I return to the South. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
This will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with a new meaning, “My country, ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring.”
And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!
Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous peaks of California!
But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!
Let freedom ring from every hill and every molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, “Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”
Inspiring Stories
Inspiring Stories for Students: Fisherman Story!
One day a fisherman was lying on a beautiful beach with his fishing pole propped up in the sand and his solitary line cast out into the sparkling blue surf.
He was enjoying the warmth of the afternoon sun and the prospect of catching a fish.
About that time, a businessman came walking down the beach trying to relieve some of the stress of his workday. He noticed the fisherman sitting on the beach and decided to find out why this fisherman was fishing instead of working harder to make a living for himself and his family.
“You aren’t going to catch many fish that way,” said the businessman to the fisherman, “you should be working rather than lying on the beach!”
The fisherman looked up at the businessman, smiled and replied, “And what will my reward be?”
“Well, you can get bigger nets and catch more fish!” was the businessman’s answer.
“And then what will my reward be?” asked the fisherman, still smiling.
The businessman replied, “You will make money and you’ll be able to buy a boat which will then result in larger catches of fish!”
“And then what will my reward be?” asked the fisherman again.
The businessman was beginning to get a little irritated with the fisherman’s questions.
“You can buy a bigger boat and hire some people to work for you!” he said.
“And then what will my reward be?” repeated the fisherman.
The businessman was getting angry. “Don’t you understand? You can build up a fleet of fishing boats, sail all over the world, and let all your employees catch fish for you!”
Once again the fisherman asked, “And then what will my reward be?”
The businessman was red with rage and shouted at the fisherman, “Don’t you understand that you can become so rich that you will never have to work for your living again! You can spend all the rest of your days sitting on this beach looking at the sunset. You won’t have a care in the world!”
The fisherman, still smiling, simply looked up, nodded and said: “And what do you think I am doing now?” He then looked at the sunset, with his pole in the water, without a care in the world.
However, both the fisherman and the businessman were wrong in their materialistic outlook. We don’t have to work hard so that we become rich, sit in the beach and have no care in the world. Islam teaches us to work hard to serve our family and our community and earn the pleasure of Allah (swt), regardless of whether we are poor or rich.
Inspiring Stories for Students: Grasshopper and Ant story of Hard Work bring Success
One cold, frosty day in the middle of winter a colony of ants was busy drying out some, grains of corn, which had grown damp during the wet autumn weather.
A grasshopper half dead with cold and hunger, came up to one of the ants. “Please give me a grail or two from your store of corn to save my life,” he said faintly.
“We worked day and night to get this corn in. Why should I give it to you?” asked the ant crossly. “Whatever were you doing all last summer when you should have been gathering your food?”
Oh I didn’t have time for things like that, said the grasshopper. “I was far too busy singing to carry corn about.”
The ant laughed I unkindly. “In that case you can sing all winter as far as I am concerned,” he said. And without another word he turned back to his work.
Islam teaches us that we should help the less fortunate. But it also teaches us that we must work hard and not rely on the kindness of others for our daily needs.
Inspiring Stories for Students: Fruits of labour (Hard Work bring Success)
There once lived a rich businessman who had a lazy and fun loving son. The businessman wanted his son to be hard-working and responsible. He wanted him to realize the value of labour. One day he summoned his son and said: “Today, I want you to go out and earn something, failing which you won’t have your meals tonight.”
The boy was callous and not used to any kind of work. This demand by his father scared him and he went crying straight to his mother. Her heart melted at the sight of tears in her son’s eyes. She grew restless. In a bid to help him she gave him a gold coin. In the evening when the father asked his son what he had earned, the son promptly presented him the gold coin. The father then asked him to throw it into a well. The son did as he was told.
The father was a man of wisdom and experience and guessed that the source of the gold coin was the boy’s mother. The next day he sent his wife to her parent’s town and asked his son to go and earn something with the threat of being denied the night meals if he failed. This time he went crying to his sister who sympathized with him and gave him a rupee coin out of her own savings. When his father asked him what he had earned the boy tossed the rupee coin at him. The father again asked him to throw it in a well. The son did it quite readily. Again the father’s wisdom told him that the rupee coin was not earned by his son. He then sent his daughter to her in-laws’ house. He again asked his son to go out and earn with the threat that he shall not have anything for dinner that night.
This time since there was no one to help him out; the son was forced to go to the market in search of work. One of the shopkeepers there told him that he would pay him two rupees if he carried his trunk to his house. The rich man’s son could not refuse and was drenched in sweat by the time he finished the job. His feet were trembling and his neck and back were aching. There were rashes on his back. As he returned home and produced the two rupee note before his father and was asked to throw it into the well, the horrified son almost cried out. He could not imagine throwing his hard-earned money like this. He said amid sobbing: “Father! My entire body is aching. My back has rashes and you are asking me to throw the money into the well.”
At this the businessman smiled. He told him that one feels the pain only when the fruits of hard labour are wasted. On earlier two occasions he was helped by his mother and sister and therefore had no pain in throwing the coins into the well. The son had now realized the value of hard work. He vowed never to be lazy and safe keep the father’s wealth. The father handed over the keys of his shop to the son and promised to guide him through the rest of the life.
Moral of the Story: Some of the life’s best lessons come from the hardest situations.
A great lesson of life from one of the smallest creatures of Allah (SWT): Ant Story
One morning I wasted nearly an hour watching a tiny ant carry a huge feather cross my back terrace. Several times it was confronted by obstacles in its path and after a momentary pause it would make the necessary detour.
At one point the ant had to negotiate a crack in the concrete about 10mm wide. After brief contemplation the ant laid the feather over the crack, walked across it and picked up the feather on the other side then continued on its way.
I was fascinated by the ingenuity of this ant, one of Allah’s smallest creatures. It served to reinforce the miracle of creation. Here was a minute insect, lacking in size yet equipped with a brain to reason, explore, discover and overcome. But this ant, like the two-legged co-residents of this planet, also shares human failings.
After some time the ant finally reached its destination – a flower bed at the end of the terrace and a small hole that was the entrance to its underground home. And it was here that the ant finally met its match. How could that large feather possibly fit down small hole?
Of course it couldn’t. So the ant, after all this trouble and exercising great ingenuity, overcoming problems all along the way, just abandoned the feather and went home.
The ant had not thought the problem through before it began its epic journey and in the end the feather was nothing more than a burden.
Isn’t our life like that?
We worry about our family; we worry about money or the lack of it, we worry about work, about where we live, about all sorts of things. These are all burdens – the things we pick up along life’s path and lug them around the obstacles and over the crevasses that life will bring, only to find that at the destination they are useless and we can’t take them with US……
Inspiring Stories for Students: Are you a wealthy Man?
A saint was praying silently. A wealthy merchant, observing the saint’s devotion and sincerity, was deeply touched by him. The merchant offered the saint a bag of gold. “I know that you will use the money for Allah’s sake. Please take it.”
“Just a moment.” The saint replied. “I’m not sure if it is lawful for me to take your money. Are you a wealthy man? Do you have more money at home?
“Oh yes. I have at least one thousand gold pieces at home,” claimed the merchant proudly.
“Do you want a thousand gold pieces more? Asked the saint.
“Why not, of course yes. Every day I work hard to earn more money.”
“And do you wish for yet a thousand gold pieces more beyond that?”
“Certainly. Every day I pray that I may earn more and more money.”
The saint pushed the bag of gold back to the merchant. “I am sorry, but I cannot take your gold,” he said. “A wealthy man cannot take money from a beggar.”
“How can you call yourself a wealthy man and me a beggar?” the merchant spluttered.
Funny Inspiration Quotes
Funny Inspirational Quotes to cheer you up, inspire and motivate you or quite simply to make you smile.
I have been through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened.”
Mark Twain
If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen defrocked, doesn’t it follow that electricians can be delighted; musicians denoted; cowboys deranged; models deposed; tree surgeons debarked and dry cleaners depressed?
Viginia Ostman
Everything comes to him who hustles while he waits.
Thomas Edison
Never let formal education get in the way of your learning.
Mark Twain
An alcoholic is someone you don’t like who drinks as much as you do.
Dylan Thomas
Monday is an awful way to spend 1/7th of your life.
Borrow money from pessimists-they don’t expect it back.
Shin: a device for finding furniture in the dark.
The hardness of the butter is proportional to the softness of the bread.
The sooner you fall behind, the more time you’ll have to catch up.
A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
If you must choose between two evils, pick the one you’ve never tried before.
I’d kill for a Nobel Peace Prize.
Bills travel through the mail at twice the speed of checks.
Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called rush hour?
Do you think Houdini ever locked his keys in his car?
If procrastinators had a club would they ever have a meeting?
Why is there always one in every crowd?
If all the world is a stage, where does the audience sit?
Is it possible to have deja vu and amnesia at the same time?
How do you know when it’s time to tune your bagpipes?
Inspirational Short Stories
Inspirational Short Stories especially from teenagers and students around the world. Here you will find stories of achievement, courage, challenges overcome and plain simple little acts of kindness.
Helen Keller
Helen Keller lived in a world of darkness and silence. She was eighteen months old when she contracted a virus which robbed her of her sight and hearing. Imagine what that must have been like!
As she got older she developed terrible temper tantrums because she couldn’t communicate with others. That is until one day Anne Sullivan came into her life. Anne was about to change Helen for ever.
Anne was once blind but had regained her sight. She taught Helen through touch. She would take her hand and stroke a cat with it. Then she would write Cat on the back of her hand. Then she would put Helen’s hand on her vocal chords and say the word Cat.
She did this with everything and eventually Helen began to ‘feel’ the world that she lived in. Later in life Helen would be able to actually ‘speak’ so that Anne could understand her.
Helen and Anne travelled the world together giving talks about hope and overcoming the challenges that we all face in life. Helen became a sought after motivational speaker.
She wrote three books, ‘The Story of my Life’ in 1903, ‘Out of the dark’ in 1913 and ‘Teacher’ in 1955.
In 1904 she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Three films were made about her. ‘Deliverance’ in 1918, ‘The Unconquered’ in 1953 and ‘The Miracle Worker’ in 1959.
In 1964 Helen was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Lyndon Johnson and in 1965 she was elected to the Women’s Hall of Fame at the New York World’s Fair.
One of her famous quotes – ‘The world may be full of suffering but it is also full of overcoming’.
Have A Great Story?
Please share it with us!
Role Models
Life can be wonderful for some of us and for others, extremely tough. It is actually the tough part, our problems and challenges, that will define who we eventually become.
The great role models of this world can play a major part in our lives because we can learn from them and be inspired by their qualities, traits, stories and challenges.
Every single one of us will have problems and challenges in our lives. To overcome them we will need to dig deep and find all the strengths that we have – determination, persistence, resilience, courage and a positive mental attitude.
Dig even deeper and you will find the most wonderful part of you – the human spirit!
So who are these role models that have made a difference in people’s lives?
Role Models like:
Helen Keller who although blind and deaf from age 2 traveled the world with her message ‘the world may be full of suffering but it is also full of overcoming’. Some of us actually believe we have a big problem in our life and when we compare to Helen Keller’s we realise we don’t. Or, maybe we do have a problem as big as Helen’s and then suddenly realise if she can overcome her problem I can do the same. The human spirit is an amazing thing.
Lance Armstrong who beat cancer and then went on to beat the world’s greatest cyclists seven years consecutively. I hope you bought one of his rubber wristbands because you would have helped to make the world a little bit better. This man’s positive mental attitude and determination to win, to beat, to overcome is truly inspirational.
Martin Luther King who stood up to discrimination and poverty and helped pave the way for greater equal rights in America. No one can ever say that one person can’t make a difference in this world. We can all make a difference. The only thing we need is the hunger. We need to want something badly enough.
Mahatma Gandhi who believed in non-violence and who was instrumental in standing up to the British Empire and getting India its freedom. A man of peace. A man who was above differences of colour, caste, religion or nationality. A man who is remembered the world over. He died with only a few personal possessions. His choice through his spirituality.
Thomas Edison who proved that through persistence and determination he could achieve. He finally invented the light bulb after some 10,000 ‘failures’. He didn’t see them as failures , he saw them as steps closer to achieving his goal. He was Henry Ford’s role model!
Einstein, one of the greatest brains of the 20th century whose theory of relativity took the scientific world by storm. Contrary to popular belief he did not go to university and in fact started off working as a clerk in a patents office. Slow to learn and not able to speak until after age 2. He said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” What a great message for those who have low self-esteem because they believe they lack intelligence.
Winston Churchill helped beat Germany in World War 2 and saved Britain from defeat. Not bad for someone who failed sixth grade and who was defeated in every election until age 62 when he became Prime Minister.
Abraham Lincoln failed in the army. Failed in business. Lost his sweetheart when she died. Had a nervous breakdown. Was defeated many, many times in politics especially for nomination for Congress, for US Senate, for vice-presidency in 1856. But, became the President of the United States in 1860.
F. W. Woolworth was not allowed to deal with customers when he worked in a dry goods store because his boss believed he he didn’t have enough sense.
Richard Bach wrote Jonathan Livingston Seagull in 1970 story about a “soaring eagle. After being turned down by many publishers Macmillan finally published it in 1970. By 1975 it had sold more than 7 million copies.
How to Reduce Fear (A great Demotivator)
How to Reduce Fear is by no means simple or easy for everyone. In fact it may take a long time for some people to ever be cured of their fear or phobia.
In the worlds of psychoanalysis, psychology and psychiatry there is no quick cure for everyone’s fears. If there was we would have heard about it. Yet, there are some amazing techniques that seem to work for certain people. You may just be one of the lucky ones. Read on.
Tapping on Meridian Lines
One of the oldest known traditions of Chinese Medicine is Acupuncture. It dates back thousands of years. As you probably know it works by putting very small needles into the meridian or energy lines that run through the body. These are mean’t to ‘unblock’ the flow of energy that was created by illness or by some form of shock to the body.
In the last 20 years or so a form of Acupressure called Energy Tapping which ‘taps’ or puts pressure on certain points of the meridian lines has comes to the fore with some pretty amazing results. The powers that be reckon that Tapping can give us relief from stress, anxiety, fear, negative and limiting thoughts.
Benefits of Failure
So what exactly do I mean when I state Benefits of Failure? Well, I believe that every human being was born to achieve. Yet many times I have met people who believed that they were talentless, unintelligent or that their lives were ruined by adversity and ultimately failure.
Failure is inevitable to every one of us. Whether it be personal, in relationships or in business. Everyone fails at something. No one is perfect. It is also failure that will drag us kicking and screaming out of our comfort zones. It will take us on a journey deep within ourselves and that is where we will find our strengths. This is where we find the Benefits of Failure.
It is also where we will find our greatness.
If you are one of those who doubt yourself then please take a few minutes to read the following stories of some amazing people.
Abraham Lincoln
On the 12 February 1809 Abraham Lincoln was born. He went on to become one of the greatest Presidents in the USA. His life is a great example of why we should never accept defeat or failure. No matter how many times we have to face them.
•His parent were poor pioneers
•He was largely self-educated
•He qualified as a lawyer but lost his job in 1832
•Defeated for legislature, 1832
•Borrowed money to start a business, but failed, 1833
•Elected to legislature, 1834
•Was engaged to be married but his fiancé (Ann Rutledge) died, 1835
•Had a nervous breakdown and was in bed for 6 months, 1836
•Defeated for Speaker, 1838
•Defeated for nomination for Congress, 1843
•Elected to Congress, 1846
•Lost renomination, 1848
•Rejected for Land Officer, 1849
•Defeated for Senate, 1854
•Defeated for nomination for Vice-President, 1856
•Again defeated for Senate, 1858
•Elected President, 1860
•He ended slavery in America
•on April 15, 1865, Abraham Lincoln died aged 56
Even if you are not interested in his life story just look at his personal and career defeats. This great man bounced back every time. He got back up every time life kicked him down.
Helen Keller
Imagine for one horrible moment that you lost your sight and your hearing. In other words you were living in a world of darkness and silence. I would say that most of us would think that life wouldn’t be worth living. Well this happened to Helen Keller when she was 18 months old.
•Born 27 June 1880
•Fell ill with a mystery fever 1882
•She lost her sight and hearing when 18 months old.
•Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone, was an expert on the problems of deaf children and recommended her parents to the Perkins Institute and Massachusetts Asylum for the Blind.
•They in turn recommended a former blind pupil who had regained her sight. Anne Sullivan.
•In 1887 Anne meets Helen and starts teaching her to finger spell by spelling the words on the back of Helen’s hand using touch.
•A strong bond grew between them.
•Anne took Helen from finger spelling to raised letters to Braille.
•Helen soon became famous because her learning was far in advance of anyone who had gone before.
•By 1890 she had met President Cleveland in the White House and was living in the Perkins Institute.
•Mary Swift Lamson tried to teach Helen how to speak but her vocal chords had not evolved properly.
•Anne Sullivan could still understand what she was saying by the sounds she made.
•Helen enrolled at The Cambridge School for Young Ladies in 1896. The first deafblind person to enroll at a college of higher education.
•Helen wrote ‘The Story of my Life’ in 1903.
•In 1904 she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
•In 1913 she wrote ‘Out of the dark’.
•From 1913 to 1918 Anne and Helen travelled the country giving lectures to enthralled audiences.
•‘Deliverance’ a film made in Hollywood about Helen’s life came out in 1918.
•From 1918 Helen made extensive fundraising tours for the blind.
•Helen’s mother Kate dies in 1921.
•Helen meets King George and Queen Mary at Buckingham Palace.
•Anne Sullivan dies in 1936.
•Polly Thomson takes over from Anne and her and Helen travel the world fundraising for the blind.
•Helen loses her house and possessions to a fire.
•1n 1953 a film ‘The Unconquered’ was made about Helen’s life and won an Academy Award.
•Helen publishes her book ‘Teacher’ in 1955. Polly dies 1960.
•The film ‘The Miracle Worker’ about Anne Sullivan’s work with Helen was made.
•In 1964 Helen was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Lyndon Johnson.
•In 1965 she was elected to the Women’s Hall of Fame at the New York World’s Fair.
•On the 1 June 1968 Helen dies peacefully in her sleep.
•One of her famous quotes – ‘The world may be full of suffering but it is also full of overcoming’.
I believe the story of Helen Keller proves beyond all doubt one important thing. That the human spirit is the most powerful force in the known universe. Why? Because it has the power to overcome great problems, challenges and create positive change.
Lance Armstrong
Another story of overcoming adversity is Lance Armstrong. The famous cyclist.
•Contracted Testicular cancer
•Spread to lungs and brain
•He beat it
•Went on to win the Tour de France 7 seven times consecutively
•Retired unbeaten in 2005 and came back 2009 to finish 3rd place in the Tour de France.
•Created the yellow ‘Livestrong’ rubber wristband for his cancer charity
•His rubber band idea started others especially in the United Kingdom
•blue for anti-bullying
•white for make poverty history
•black and white for anti-racism
•pink for breast cancer
•red for The Heart Foundation
Lance Armstrong is a great role model for people with cancer and people in sport.
J K Rowling
From being on government benefit with a young baby to amassing £500 million in 2009. All because she didn’t give up when publishers rejected her book Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
•Parents were impoverished
•Came out of a bad marriage with young baby in the mid nineties
•Lived in a small flat in Edinburgh, Scotland
•She was living on government benefit £78 per week
•Her ‘failure’ gave her the ‘freedom and drive’ to achieve through her writing
•Wrote first book Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone but it was turned down by most publishers
•Determination, resilience and persistence kept her going book eventually published by Bloomsbury Publishing.
•Does a great deal for charity. esp single parent charities.
She is a great role model to show that you don’t need money to succeed in life
You can hear her wonderfully inspiring speech she gave to Harvard University students in 2008 below. She mentions ‘the benefits of failure’.
Smart Goals
If you ask most people what is their one major objective in life, they would probably give you a vague answer, such as, “I want to be successful, be happy, make a good living,” and that is it. They are all wishes and none of them are clear goals.
Goals must be SMART:
1. S–specific. For example, “I want to lose weight.” This is wishful thinking. It becomes a goal when I pin myself down to “I will lose 10 pounds in 90 days.”
2. M–must be measurable. If we cannot measure it, we cannot accomplish it. Measurement is a way of monitoring our progress.
3. A–must be achievable. Achievable means that it should be out of reach enough to be challenging but it should not be out of sight, otherwise it becomes disheartening.
4. R–realistic. A person who wants to lose 50 pounds in~30 days is being unrealistic.
5. T–time-bound. There should be a starting date and a finishing date
How Would You Like to be Remembered?
About a hundred years ago, a man looked at the morning newspaper and to his surprise and horror, read his name in the obituary column. The news papers had reported the death of the wrong person by mistake. His first response was shock. Am I here or there? When he regained his composure, his second thought was to find out what people had said about him. The obituary read, “Dynamite King Dies.” And also “He was the merchant of death.” This man was the inventor of dynamite and when he read the words “merchant of death,” he asked himself a question, “Is this how I am going to be remembered?” He got in touch with his feelings and decided that this was not the way he wanted to be remembered. From that day on, he started working toward peace. His name was Alfred Nobel and he is remembered today by the great Nobel Prize.
Just as Alfred Nobel got in touch with his feelings and redefined his values, we should step back and do the same.
What is your legacy?
How would you like to be remembered?
Will you be spoken well of?
Will you be remembered with love and respect?
Will you be missed?
Why are Goals Important? Must Read
On the best sunny day, the most powerful magnifying glass will not light paper if you keep moving the glass. But if you focus and hold it, the paper will light up. That is the power of concentration.
A man was traveling and stopped at an intersection. He asked an elderly man, “Where does this road take me?” The elderly person asked, “Where do you want to go?” The man replied, “I don’t know.” The elderly person said, “Then take any road. What difference does it make?”
How true. When we don’t know where we are going, any road will take us there.
Suppose you have all the football eleven players, enthusiastically ready to play the game, all charged up, and then someone took the goal post away. What would happen to the game? There is nothing left. How do you keep score? How do you know you have arrived?
Enthusiasm without direction is like wildfire and leads to frustration. Goals give a sense of direction. Would you sit in a train or a plane without knowing where it was going? The obvious answer is no. Then why do people go through life without having any goals?
Jokes
Physics Teacher: Isaac Newton was sitting under a tree when an apple fell on his head and he discovered gravity. Isn’t that wonderful?
Student: Yes sir, if he had been sitting in class looking at books like us, he wouldn’t have discovered anything.
The teacher of the earth science class was lecturing on map reading.
After explaining about latitude, longitude, degrees and minutes the teacher asked, “Suppose I asked you to meet me for lunch at 23 degrees, 4 minutes north latitude and 45 degrees, 15 minutes east longitude…?”
After a confused silence, a voice volunteered, “I guess you’d be eating alone.”
A Smile
A smile costs nothing, but gives much.
It enriches those who receive, without making poorer those who give.
It takes a moment, but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever.
None is so rich or mighty that he can get along without it, and none is so poor, but that he can be made rich by it.
A smile creates happiness in the home, fosters good will in business, and is the countersign of friendship.
It brings rest to the weary, cheer to the discouraged, sunshine to the sad, and it is nature’s best antidote for trouble.
Yet it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is something that is of no value to anyone, until it is given away.
Some people are too tired to give you a smile;
Give them one of yours, as none needs a smile so much as he who has no more to give.
Love in Action
One night a man came to our house and told me, “There is a family with eight children. They have not eaten for days,” I took some food and I went. When I finally came to the family, I saw the faces of those little children disfigured by hunger. There was no sorrow or sadness in their faces, just the deep pain of hunger. I gave the rice to the mother. She divided it in two, and went out, carrying half the rice with her. When she came back, I asked her, “Where did you go?” She gave me this simple answer, “To my neighbors-they are hungry also.”
I was not surprised that she gave–because poor people are generous. But I was surprised that she knew they were hungry. As a rule, when we are suffering, we are so focused on ourselves we have no time for others.
–Mother Teresa
I Have Learned
I’ve learned-
that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone who can be loved. The rest is up to them.
I’ve learned-
that no matter how much I care, some people just don’t care back.
I’ve learned-
that it takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy it.
I’ve learned-
that no matter how good a friend is, they’re going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.
I’ve learned-
that it’s not what you have in your life but who you have in your life that counts.
I’ve learned-
that you should never ruin an apology with an excuse.
I’ve learned-
that you can get by on charm for about fifteen minutes. After that, you’d better know something.
I’ve learned-
that you shouldn’t compare yourself to the best others can do.
I’ve learned-
that you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.
I’ve learned-
that it’s taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.
I’ve learned-
that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.
I’ve learned-
that you can keep going long after you can’t.
I’ve learned-
that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.
I’ve learned-
that either you control your attitude or it controls you.
I’ve learned-
that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades and there had better be something else to take its place.
I’ve learned-
that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.
I’ve learned-
that money is a lousy way of keeping score.
I’ve learned-
that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.
I’ve learned-
that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you’re down will be the ones to help you get back up.
I’ve learned-
that sometimes when I’m angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn’t give me the right to be cruel.
I’ve learned-
that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.
I’ve learned-
that just because someone doesn’t love you the way you want them to doesn’t mean they don’t love you with all they have.
I’ve learned-
that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you’ve had and what you’ve learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you’ve celebrated.
I’ve learned-
that you should never tell a child their dreams are unlikely or outlandish. Few things are more humiliating, and what a tragedy it would be if they believed it.
I’ve learned-
that your family won’t always be there for you. It may seem funny, but people you aren’t related to can take care of you and love you and teach you to trust people again. Families aren’t biological.
I’ve learned-
that it isn’t always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you are to learn to forgive yourself.
I’ve learned-
that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn’t stop for your grief.
I’ve learned-
that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.
I’ve learned-
that a rich person is not the one who has the most, but is one who needs the least.
I’ve learned-
that just because two people argue, it doesn’t mean they don’t love each other. And just because they don’t argue, it doesn’t mean they do.
I’ve learned-
that we don’t have to change friends if we understand that friends change.
I’ve learned-
that you shouldn’t be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.
I’ve learned-
that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.
I’ve learned-
that no matter how you try to protect your children, they will eventually get hurt and you will hurt in the process.
I’ve learned-
that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.
I’ve learned-
that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.
I’ve learned-
that the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.
I’ve learned-
that it’s hard to determine where to draw the line between being nice and not hurting people’s feelings, and standing up for what you believe.
I’ve learned-
that people will forget what you said, and people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
Enjoy Your Self at Every Moment
Once a fisherman was sitting near seashore, under the shadow of a tree smoking his beedi. Suddenly a rich businessman passing by approached him and enquired as to why he was sitting under a tree smoking and not working. To this the poor fisherman replied that he had caught enough fishes for the day.
Hearing this the rich man got angry and said: Why don’t you catch more fishes instead of sitting in shadow wasting your time?
Fisherman asked: What would I do by catching more fishes?
Businessman: You could catch more fishes, sell them and earn more money, and buy a bigger boat.
Fisherman: What would I do then?
Businessman: You could go fishing in deep waters and catch even more fishes and earn even more money.
Fisherman: What would I do then?
Businessman: You could buy many boats and employ many people to work for you and earn even more money.
Fisherman: What would I do then?
Businessman: You could become a rich businessman like me.
Fisherman: What would I do then?
Businessman: You could then enjoy your life peacefully.
Fisherman: What do you think I’m doing right now?
MORAL – You don’t need to wait for tomorrow to be happy and enjoy your life. You don’t even need to be more rich, more powerful to enjoy life. LIFE is at this moment, enjoy it fully.
As some great men have said “My riches consist not in extent of my possessions but in the fewness of my wants”.
How the Poor Live
One day, a father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the firm purpose of showing his son how poor people live. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family. On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, “How was the trip?”
“It was great, Dad.”
“Did you see how poor people live?” the father asked.
“Oh yeah,” said the son.
“So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?” asked the father.
The son answered, “I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden, and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden, and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard, and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on, and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us; they have friends to protect them.”
The boy’s father was speechless.
Then his son added, “Thanks, Dad, for showing me how poor we are.”
Remember Those Who Serve
In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10 year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him. “How much is an ice cream sundae?” he asked. “50¢,” replied the waitress.
The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it.
“Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?” he inquired. By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient. “35¢!” she brusquely replied.
The little boy again counted his coins. “I’ll have the plain ice cream,” he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left.
When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies. You see, he couldn’t have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.
Don’t Be Afraid
Here we are, afraid of losing what we have all the time, holding on to it so tight that not a soul can touch it. We think by hiding it from the world, it’s hidden and it’s ours. Nothing is. Nothing ever will be. For, nothing ever was.
If you think there is anything that you have, that’s yours, be it money, a house, a job, or a girlfriend… it’s nothing but an illusion. It’ll all disappear… in one blow. One blow, my man.
Here we are, so insecure that we are afraid of re-starting our lives, so we just carry on trying to sort out the current mess. The thought that we should give it all up and just start all over – with nothing – might cross our minds some time, sure, but we get scared and we push away anything that scares us.
There is nothing I can ever achieve or gain that I cannot lose, in a matter of seconds. You have never gained enough to not be able to lose it all, in just a few minutes. What you think is yours, was never yours and will never be yours. Whatever you make here, you leave here. You came naked and you’re going to go back naked.
So what are you afraid of?
Let all be lost. Let them take away everything. As long as you have your heart beating strong, as long as you have your nostrils working fine, as long as the blood flows in your veins, you will live, you will breathe and you can get it all back… again and again. For, if you can do it once, you can damn well do it again. It’s just a game we play – Life.
By Rohit Wadhwaney
Believe Your Self
There may be days when you get up in the morning and things aren’t the way you had hoped they would be.
That’s when you have to tell yourself that things will get better. There are times when people disappoint you and let you down.
But those are the times when you must remind yourself to trust your own judgments and opinions, to keep your life focused on believing in yourself.
There will be challenges to face and changes to make in your life, and it is up to you to accept them.
Constantly keep yourself headed in the right direction for you. It may not be easy at times, but in those times of struggle you will find a stronger sense of who you are.
So when the days come that are filled with frustration and unexpected responsibilities, remember to believe in yourself and all you want your life to be.
Because the challenges and changes will only help you to find the goals that you know are meant to come true for you.
Keep Believing in Yourself
Help Others Win
A few years ago at the Seattle Special Olympics, nine contestants, all physically or mentally disabled, assembled at the starting line for the 100 yard dash. At the gun, they all started out, not exactly in a dash, but with a relish to run the race to the finish and win. All, that is, except one boy who stumbled on the asphalt, tumbled over a couple of times and began to cry.
The other eight heard the boy. They slowed down and looked back. They all turned around and went back. Every one of them. One girl with Down’s Syndrome bent down and kissed him and said, “This will make it better.” All nine linked arms and walked across the finish line together. Everyone in the stadium stood, and the cheering went on for several minutes.
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Written by Stephen on October 18th, 2008
Never Quite
Abraham Lincoln never quits.
Born into poverty, Lincoln was faced with defeat throughout his life. He lost eight elections, twice failed in business and suffered a nervous breakdown.
He could have quit many times – but he didn’t and because he didn’t quit, he became one of the greatest presidents in the United States history.
Here is a sketch of Lincoln’s road to the White House:
- 1816 His family was forced out of their home. He had to work to support them.
- 1818 His mother died.
- 1831 Failed in business.
- 1832 Ran for state legislature – lost.
- 1832 Also lost his job – wanted to go to law school but couldn’t get in.
- 1833 Borrowed some money from a friend to begin a business and by the end of the year he was bankrupt. He spent the next 17 years of his life paying off this debt.
- 1834 Ran for state legislature again – won.
- 1835 Was engaged to be married, sweetheart died and his heart was broken.
- 1836 Had a total nervous breakdown and was in bed for six months.
- 1838 Sought to become speaker of the state legislature – defeated.
- 1840 Sought to become elector – defeated.
- 1843 Ran for Congress – lost.
- 1846 Ran for Congress again – this time he won – went to Washington and did a good job.
- 1848 Ran for re-election to Congress – lost.
- 1849 Sought the job of land officer in his home state – rejected.
- 1854 Ran for Senate of the United States – lost.
- 1856 Sought the Vice-Presidential nomination at his party’s national convention – get less than 100 votes.
- 1858 Ran for U.S. Senate again – again he lost.
- 1860 Elected president of the United States.
Learn from Mistakes
Thomas Edison tried two thousand different materials in search of a filament for the light bulb. When none worked satisfactorily, his assistant complained, “All our work is in vain. We have learned nothing.”
Edison replied very confidently, “Oh, we have come a long way and we have learned a lot. We know that there are two thousand elements which we cannot use to make a good light bulb.”
Determination and Persistance
This is a real life story of engineer John Roebling building the Brooklyn Bridge in New York, USA back in 1870. The bridge was completed in 1883, after 13 years.
In 1883, a creative engineer named John Roebling was inspired by an idea to build a spectacular bridge connecting New York with the Long Island. However bridge building experts throughout the world thought that this was an impossible feat and told Roebling to forget the idea. It just could not be done. It was not practical. It had never been done before.
Roebling could not ignore the vision he had in his mind of this bridge. He thought about it all the time and he knew deep in his heart that it could be done. He just had to share the dream with someone else. After much discussion and persuasion he managed to convince his son Washington, an up and coming engineer, that the bridge in fact could be built.
Working together for the first time, the father and son developed concepts of how it could be accomplished and how the obstacles could be overcome. With great excitement and inspiration, and the headiness of a wild challenge before them, they hired their crew and began to build their dream bridge.
The project started well, but when it was only a few months underway a tragic accident on the site took the life of John Roebling. Washington was also injured and left with a certain amount of brain damage, which resulted in him not being able to talk or walk.
“We told them so.” “Crazy men and their crazy dreams.” “It’s foolish to chase wild visions.”
Everyone had a negative comment to make and felt that the project should be scrapped since the Roeblings were the only ones who knew how the bridge could be built.
In spite of his handicap Washington was never discouraged and still had a burning desire to complete the bridge and his mind was still as sharp as ever. He tried to inspire and pass on his enthusiasm to some of his friends, but they were too daunted by the task.
As he lay on his bed in his hospital room, with the sunlight streaming through the windows, a gentle breeze blew the flimsy white curtains apart and he was able to see the sky and the tops of the trees outside for just a moment.
It seemed that there was a message for him not to give up. Suddenly an idea hit him. All he could do was move one finger and he decided to make the best use of it. By moving this, he slowly developed a code of communication with his wife.
He touched his wife’s arm with that finger, indicating to her that he wanted her to call the engineers again. Then he used the same method of tapping her arm to tell the engineers what to do. It seemed foolish but the project was under way again.
For 13 years Washington tapped out his instructions with his finger on his wife’s arm, until the bridge was finally completed. Today the spectacular Brooklyn Bridge stands in all its glory as a tribute to the triumph of one man’s indomitable spirit and his determination not to be defeated by circumstances. It is also a tribute to the engineers and their team work, and to their faith in a man who was considered mad by half the world. It stands too as a tangible monument to the love and devotion of his wife who for 13 long years patiently decoded the messages of her husband and told the engineers what to do.
Perhaps this is one of the best examples of a never-say-die attitude that overcomes a terrible physical handicap and achieves an impossible goal.
Often when we face obstacles in our day-to-day life, our hurdles seem very small in comparison to what many others have to face. The Brooklyn Bridge shows us that dreams that seem impossible can be realised with determination and persistence, no matter what the odds are
A Give of Love
“Can I see my baby?” the happy new mother asked. When the bundle was nestled in her arms and she moved the fold of cloth to look upon his tiny face, she gasped. The doctor turned quickly and looked out the tall hospital window. The baby had been born without ears. Time proved that the baby’s hearing was perfect. It was only his appearance that was marred. When he rushed home from school one day and flung himself into his mother’s arms, she sighed, knowing that his life was to be a succession of heartbreaks. He blurted out the tragedy. “A boy, a big boy … called me a freak.” He grew up, handsome for his misfortune. A favorite with his fellow students, he might have been class president, but for that. He developed a gift, a talent for literature and music. “But you might mingle with other young people,” his mother reproved him, but felt a kindness in her heart. The boy’s father had a session with the family physician. Could nothing be done? “I believe I could graft on a pair of outer ears, if they could be procured,” the doctor decided. Whereupon the search began for a person who would make such a sacrifice for a young man. Two years went by. Then, “You are going to the hospital, Son. Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need. But it’s a secret,” said the father. The operation was a brilliant success, and a new person emerged. His talents blossomed into genius, and school and college became a series of triumphs. Later he married and entered the diplomatic service. “But I must know!” He urged his father, “Who gave so much for me? I could never do enough for him.” “I do not believe you could,” said the father, “but the agreement was that you are not to know … not yet.” The years kept their profound secret, but the day did come … one of the darkest days that a son must endure. He stood with his father over his mother’s casket. Slowly, tenderly, the father stretched forth a hand and raised the thick, reddish-brown hair to reveal that the mother had no outer ears. “Mother said she was glad she never let her hair be cut,” he whispered gently, “and nobody ever thought Mother less beautiful, did they?” Real beauty lies not in the physical appearance, but in the heart. Real treasure lies not in what that can be seen, but what that cannot be seen. Real love lies not in what is done and known, but in what that is done but not known.
Don’t Hope, Decide!
While waiting to pick up a friend at the airport in Portland, Oregon, I had one of those life-changing experiences that you hear other people talk about — the kind that sneaks up on you unexpectedly. This one occurred a mere two feet away from me.
Straining to locate my friend among the passengers deplaning through the jet way, I noticed a man coming toward me carrying two light bags. He stopped right next to me to greet his family.
First he motioned to his youngest son (maybe six years old) as he laid down his bags. They gave each other a long, loving hug. As they separated enough to look in each other’s face, I heard the father say, “It’s so good to see you, son. I missed you so much!” His son smiled somewhat shyly, averted his eyes and replied softly, “Me, too, Dad!”
Then the man stood up, gazed in the eyes of his oldest son (maybe nine or ten) and while cupping his son’s face in his hands said, “You’re already quite the young man. I love you very much, Zach!” They too hugged a most loving, tender hug.
While this was happening, a baby girl (perhaps one or one-and-a-half) was squirming excitedly in her mother’s arms, never once taking her little eyes off the wonderful sight of her returning father. The man said, “Hi, baby girl!” as he gently took the child from her mother. He quickly kissed her face all over and then held her close to his chest while rocking her from side to side. The little girl instantly relaxed and simply laid her head on his shoulder, motionless in pure contentment.
After several moments, he handed his daughter to his oldest son and declared, “I’ve saved the best for last!” and proceeded to give his wife the longest, most passionate kiss I ever remember seeing. He gazed into her eyes for several seconds and then silently mouthed. “I love you so much!” They stared at each other’s eyes, beaming big smiles at one another, while holding both hands.
For an instant they reminded me of newlyweds, but I knew by the age of their kids that they couldn’t possibly be. I puzzled about it for a moment then realized how totally engrossed I was in the wonderful display of unconditional love not more than an arm’s length away from me. I suddenly felt uncomfortable, as if I was invading something sacred, but was amazed to hear my own voice nervously ask, “Wow! How long have you two been married?
“Been together fourteen years total, married twelve of those.” he replied, without breaking his gaze from his lovely wife’s face. “Well then, how long have you been away?” I asked. The man finally turned and looked at me, still beaming his joyous smile. “Two whole days!”
Two days? I was stunned. By the intensity of the greeting, I had assumed he’d been gone for at least several weeks – if not months. I know my expression betrayed me.
I said almost offhandedly, hoping to end my intrusion with some semblance of grace (and to get back to searching for my friend), “I hope my marriage is still that passionate after twelve years!”
The man suddenly stopped smiling.
He looked me straight in the eye, and with forcefulness that burned right into my soul, he told me something that left me a different person. He told me, “Don’t hope, friend… decide!” Then he flashed me his wonderful smile again, shook my hand and said, “God bless!”
- By Michael D. Hargrove and Bottom Line Underwriters, Inc. Copyright 1997
Give Time to Our Family
After 21 years of marriage, my wife wanted me to take another woman out to dinner and a movie. She said, “I love you, but I know this other woman loves you and would love to spend some time with you.”
The other woman that my wife wanted me to visit was my MOTHER, who has been a widow for 19 years, but the demands of my work and my three children had made it possible to visit her only occasionally. That night I called to invite her to go out for dinner and a movie. “What’s wrong, are you well?” she asked.
My mother is the type of woman who suspects that a late night call or a surprise invitation is a sign of bad news. “I thought that it would be pleasant to spend some time with you,” I responded. “Just the two of us.” She thought about it for a moment, and then said, “I would like that very much.”
That Friday after work, as I drove over to pick her up I was a bit nervous. When I arrived at her house, I noticed that she, too, seemed to be nervous about our date. She waited in the door with her coat on. She had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary. She smiled from a face that was as radiant as an angel’s. “I told my friends that I was going to go out with my son, and they were impressed, “she said, as she got into the car. “They can’t wait to hear about our meeting.”
We went to a restaurant that, although not elegant, was very nice and cozy. My mother took my arm as if she were the First Lady. After we sat down, I had to read the menu. Her eyes could only read large print. Half way through the entries, I lifted my eyes and saw Mom sitting there staring at me. A nostalgic smile was on her lips. “It was I who used to have to read the menu when you were small,” she said. “Then it’s time that you relax and let me return the favor,” I responded. During the dinner, we had an agreeable conversation – nothing extraordinary but catching up on recent events of each other’s life. We talked so much that we missed the movie. As we arrived at her house later, she said, “I’ll go out with you again, but only if you let me invite you.” I agreed.
“How was your dinner date?” asked my wife when I got home. “Very nice. Much more so than I could have imagined,” I answered.
A few days later, my mother died of a massive heart attack. It happened so suddenly that I didn’t have a chance to do anything for her. Some time later, I received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant receipt from the same place mother and I had dined. An attached note said: “I paid this bill in advance. I wasn’t sure that I could be there; but nevertheless, I paid for two plates – one for you and the other for your wife. You will never know what that night meant for me. I love you, son.”
At that moment, I understood the importance of saying in time: “I LOVE YOU” and to give our loved ones the time that they deserve. Nothing in life is more important than your family. Give them the time they deserve, because these things cannot be put off till “some other time.”
Live and Work
Father was a hardworking man who delivered bread as a living to support his wife and three children. He spent all his evenings after work attending classes, hoping to improve himself so that he could one day find a better paying job. Except for Sundays, Father hardly ate a meal together with his family. He worked and studied very hard because he wanted to provide his family with the best money could buy.
Whenever the family complained that he was not spending enough time with them, he reasoned that he was doing all this for them. But he often yearned to spend more time with his family.
The day came when the examination results were announced. To his joy, Father passed, and with distinctions too! Soon after, he was offered a good job as a senior supervisor which paid handsomely.
Like a dream come true, Father could now afford to provide his family with life’s little luxuries like nice clothing, fine food and vacation abroad.
However, the family still did not get to see father for most of the week. He continued to work very hard, hoping to be promoted to the position of manager. In fact, to make himself a worthily candidate for the promotion, he enrolled for another course in the open university.
Again, whenever the family complained that he was not spending enough time with them, he reasoned that he was doing all this for them. But he often yearned to spend more time with his family.
Father’s hard work paid off and he was promoted. Jubilantly, he decided to hire a maid to relieve his wife from her domestic tasks. He also felt that their three-room flat was no longer big enough, it would be nice for his family to be ablt to enjoy the facilities and comfort of a condominium. Having experienced the rewards of his hard work many times before, Father resolved to further his studies and work at being promoted again. The family still did not get to see much of him. In fact, sometimes Father had to work on Sundays entertaining clients. Again, whenever the family complained that he was not spending enough time with them, he reasoned that he was doing all this for them. But he often yearned to spend more time with his family.
As expected, Father’s hard work paid off again and he bought a beautiful condominium overlooking the coast of Singapore. On the first Sunday evening at their new home, Father declared to his family that he decided not to take anymore courses or pursue any more promotions. From then on he was going to devote more time to his family.
Father did not wake up the next day.
The Important Things in Life
A philosophy professor stood before his class with some items on the table in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks, about 2 inches in diameter.
He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks.
He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.
He then asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “Yes.”
“Now,” said the professor, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The rocks are the important things – your family, your partner, your health, your children – things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the other things that matter – like your job, your house, your car.
The sand is everything else. The small stuff.”
“If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued “there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life.
If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take your partner out dancing. There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a dinner party and fix the disposal.
Take care of the rocks first – the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”
Somali montane xeric woodlands
The Somali Montane Xeric Woodland ecoregion runs around the Horn of Africa, including a number of higher montane areas close to the sea. Although classified as part of the Somali-Masai regional center of endemism this area also contains remnant plant species linking it to Mediterranean, Macaronesian and Afromontane regions. It has served as a refuge for arid and semi-arid relict elements from these different regions. This ecoregion includes the highest point in Somalia and has the highest amount of rainfall in Somalia. At least ten species of plants, and six species of vertebrate animals are endemic to the ecoregion. The habitats are fairly intact due to the low human population and the inaccessibility of the escarpment and plateau areas, but populations of larger mammals have been greatly reduced by hunting. However, the difficult topography and long-running political problems mean that much of the region is unexplored biologically (WWF and IUCN 1994).
Location and General Description
This ecoregion stretches along the coast of Somalia through the regions of Somaliland and Puntland from the Shimbiris Mountain east of Hargeysa through the northern mountains of Somalia to Raas Caseyr, covering the very tip of the Horn of Africa, and continuing some 300 kilometers south along the Somali coastal plain. Elevations range from sea level to the summit of Shimbiris at 2,416 m, the highest point in Somalia (WWF and IUCN 1994). There are also extensive coastal plains and sizeable mountain escarpments with areas higher than 1,500 m. As a result, some authorities (e.g. Friis 1992) consider these mountain areas to be biogeographic extensions of the Ethiopian highlands. The climate is hot and dry, with considerable seasonal temperature variations. Mean temperatures range from 21°C to 30°C in the lowlands to 9°C to 21°C in the mountains. The mean rainfall of the low-lying areas is less than 200 mm annually, though it is presumably far greater at higher elevations, and falls mainly during the winter months. The escarpment near Maydh receives the most rainfall in Somalia, over 700 mm each year.
Most of the higher mountain areas are composed of limestone and gypsum, covered with free-draining thin rendzina lithosols that retain little moisture outside the rainy seasons. Many endemic species are confined to these areas, such as Reseda sessilifolia that grows on outcrops of gypsum.
The vegetation of this ecoregion varies due to elevation, rainfall, and soil or rock types. At lower elevations, xerosols and yermosols have developed, particularly on the lowland coastal plains bordering the Indian Ocean. Here, there is little to no vegetation in this desert to semi-desert habitat. In subcoastal areas woody vegetation becomes denser with dominant species from the genera Acacia, Commiphora, and Boswellia (WWF and IUCN 1994). Along the sides of the escarpment Macchia-like evergreen and semi-evergreen scrub occurs with species such as Dracaena schizantha, Cadia purpea, Buxus hildebrandtii, and Pistacia aethiopica, while remnants of Juniperus forest grow at higher altitudes on the mountains (WWF and IUCN 1994, White 1983).
Biodiversity Features
The biological value of the ecoregion is poorly known. Most of the area has been inaccessible for many years due to political instability in Somalia, and much of the information that does exist is old and potentially unreliable. However, it is known that there are over ten species of endemic plants represented in this ecoregion, including relict elements of arid and semi-arid groups; for example, four endemic species of Helianthemum and one endemic species of Thamnosma. Also, the monotypic genus Renschia is a strict endemic (WWF and IUCN 1994). Both WWF and IUCN (WWF and IUCN 1994), Friis (1992) and Lovett and Friis (1996) regard this as a center of endemism for plants. The most endemic-rich zone is the high montane region, but plant endemics are also found at lower elevations.
There are three strict endemic reptiles, the snakes Spalerosophis josephscorteccii and Leptotyphlops reticulatus and the lizard Pseuderemias savagei, with two other reptiles nearly-endemic to the ecoregion. Three strict endemic birds also occur: the Somali pigeon (Columba oliviae, DD), the Somali thrush (Turdus ludoviciae, CR), and the Warsangli linnet (Carduelis johannis, EN), all found in the North Somali mountains endemic bird area (Stattersfield et al. 1998). Three small mammal species are also considered near-endemics, Atelerix sclateri, Acomys louisae and Elephantulus revoili. The rare antelopes beira (Dorcatragus megalotis, VU) and Speke’s gazelle (Gazella spekei, VU) are also found here and in a few other ecoregions in the Horn of Africa area (East 1999).
The severely threatened Somali thrush and Warsangli linnet are principally or perhaps wholly confined to juniper forests at higher elevations. More widely distributed mammal species such as Speke’s gazelle (Gazella spekei, VU), Salt’s dikdik (Madoqua saltiana), beira (Dorcatragus megalotis, VU), and Soemmerring’s gazelle (Gazella soemmerringii, VU) are also threatened and suffer from over-hunting and from grazing competition with livestock (East 1999).
Current Status
Due to the longstanding and continued political difficulties in the former Somalia, there is no accurate information about the habitat within this ecoregion. It is known that the area of juniper forest has been greatly reduced and what remains is heavily degraded. At lower elevations and drier sites, the vegetation may be in better condition because the human population density is low and the habitats are semi-deserts in many areas. Previously, small forest patches were principally centered on the higher elevation areas of the Surud-Ad-Al Madu and Mosca highlands (Friis 1992). The only protected areas within the ecoregion are a few forest reserves, of which the most important is Daloh Forest Reserve, an area of montane Juniperus forest. Because of the past political situation these areas probably have not been protected for some time.
Types and Severity of Threats
The major threats to the ecoregion are thought to be intensive grazing by goats and other livestock (including cattle in the mountains), and cutting of Juniperus trees for timber and fuel wood. Hunting of larger mammals is also a long-standing problem. The prolonged period of political instability in the ecoregion may have also resulted in a number of additional threats, but apart from the breakdown of management authorities set up to conserve forests and wildlife, these are not well documented.
Justification of Ecoregion Delineation
This ecoregion follows the ‘Somalia-Masai semi-desert grassland and shrubland’ vegetation unit classified by White (1983). The Somali Montane Xeric Woodland covers approximately the same area as the North Somali Mountains Endemic Bird Area (Stattersfield et al. 1998), and includes Cal Madow (Al Medu), a center of endemism for plants (WWF and IUCN 1994). It also shares affinities with the Mediterranean, Macaronesian and Afromontane regions. Modifications to the ecoregion include its extension further west than Berbera, as well as the inclusion of the littoral region and an island of montane vegetation at Shimbiris, east of the Harer branch of the Ethiopian Highlands (WWF 1998). Although White (1983) classifies this unit with the Ethiopian Highlands, it was considered to be more similar to the other parts of the Somalian Xeric Woodland ecoregion.
Somali Proverbs
He who does not seize opportunity today, will be unable to seize tomorrow’s opportunity.
A camel can tolerate a heavy load, but not a crooked rope.
A man throws stones not words.
A person stands next to a shade not next to words.
You don’t go searching for bones in a lion’s den.
Every camel was once upon time two years old.
A coward dies before the courageous dies.
An escaped lie does not reach the truth.
You lend a false ear to false words.
A married couple are neither enemies nor friends.
A man one year elder to you is one cunning year elder to you.
One should rise to a person who see you sitting.
A deer is an elder to its family.
Let what is on this side of the bank be washed out by the flood, and what is on that side of the bank be carried away by the wind.
A madman does not lack wisdom.
You should discuss over a dog’s hide when it concerns your interest.
Dogs understand each other by their barking, and men by their words.
The ear cannot hold as much water as it does news.
A dog which refuses a bone is not alive.
A brave man dies once, a coward a thousand times.
One shares food not words.
When a man sleeps, it is the same person when he wakes up.
The most dangerous thing a man needs is woman.
The child you sired hasn’t sired you.
There is always a better man for every good man.
A man who has eaten something becomes shy.
These youth taught their mother to give birth.
One refusing a sibling’s advice breaks his arm.
A cat in her house has the teeth of a lion.
One doesn’t tell a man ‘go away’ but one shows him something so he will go.
A man prolonging his age sees a camel giving birth.
Your woman should be in the house or in the grave.
A thousand assignations, one marriage.
Men for tea, women for talk.
Somalis don’t say a false proverb.
To be without knowledge is to be without light.
An old wound will not go away.
Do not walk into a snake pit with your eyes open.
Wisdom does not come overnight.
In the ocean, one does not need to sow water.
Where I make my living, there is my home.
He who does not shave you does not cut you.
The bridge is repaired only after someone falls in the water.
To try and fail is not laziness.
Poverty is slavery.
Think before you do.
Sorrow is like rice in the store; if a basketful is removed everyday, it will come to an end at last.
Somali Cultural Profile
Somalia
Geography
Somalia is a long, narrow country that wraps around the Horn of Africa. It has the longest coast of any African nation, bordering on both the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. The inland areas are predominantly plateaus, with the exception of some rugged mountains in the far north. The northern region is more arid, whereas the southern portion of the country receives more rainfall. Many Somalis are nomadic or semi-nomadic herders, some are fishermen, and some farmers. Mogadishu is the capital and largest city.
History and Politics
Unlike many African nations, Somalia is composed of a single, homogeneous ethnic group. Although Somalis may differ in nuances of local lifestyle, they share a uniform language, religion, and culture, and trace their heritage to a common ancestor.
Colonial rule began in the mid 1800s and divided the land inhabited by ethnic Somalis into several territories. The French controlled the northernmost region (the area that is now Djibouti), the British colonized northern Somalia creating a country called British Somaliland, the Italians governed southern Somalia, creating Italian Somaliland, Ethiopia controlled the inland region of the Ogaden, and Kenya controlled land on its northern border inhabited by Somalis, called the Northern Frontier District (NFD). In 1960 British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland peacefully obtained independence and were united to form the current borders of Somalia. The Ogaden, controlled by the British after World War II, was designated as part of Ethiopia in a U.N. mediated agreement in 1948. This has been a source of heated contention between the Somali and Ethiopian governments ever since. Twice, in 1964 and again in 1977, military conflict arose between the two countries over control of the Ogaden, resulting in many lost lives on both sides. The land is currently controlled by Ethiopia, though many Somalis believe the region should be reunited with Somalia.
In 1977 Djibouti received independence from the French. Although the government of Djibouti chose not to reunite with Somalia, ties between the countries remain close, as the citizens share a common culture and language. Travel is permitted freely across the border without a visa.
At the time of independence in 1960 a civilian government was established, which then allied itself with the USSR as a way to distance itself from its prior colonial rulers. In 1969, General Mohammed Siad Barre lead a coup, creating a socialist military government with himself as its President. In the early years of his government Barre enjoyed popular support, but as his regime became increasingly more oppressive, his support waned. The Barre government was accused of many human rights violations. In addition, some Somalis felt Barre was not aggressive enough about regaining the Ogaden from Ethiopia. In the late 1970s and early 1980s clan-based militias developed in order to oppose and overthrow Barre. In 1977 Barre broke ties with Moscow after the Soviets began providing aid to Ethiopia during the Ogaden War. With this realignment, the United States began supplying military and economic aid to Somalia, but eventually suspended these efforts in 1989 because of the Barre government’s human rights record. Outright civil war erupted from 1988-1991, culminating in the exile of Barre in January 1991.
Since 1991, the various militias have fought against each other vying for control of the country. There has been no effective government and the infrastructure of the country has crumbled. Many civilians have suffered from rampant violence. Food supplies have been manipulated for political gain resulting in famine and death from starvation. It was estimated by the US Army that by the fall of 1992, 40% of the population of Baidoa and 25% of all Somali children under the age of five had died because of famine. In late 1992, US and UN forces intervened in Somalia to help alleviate the humanitarian crisis. By March 1994 all foreign troops had withdrawn. At the present time the country remains overwhelmed in inter-clan disputes.
In 1991 people began leaving the country to escape the hunger, rape, and death that had become widespread. Over one million people fled to neighboring countries such as Ethiopia, Kenya, Djibouti, Yemen, and Burundi. Most stayed in large refugee camps that were established to house the Somalis. Resettlement programs have enabled families to move to Europe (Germany, Switzerland, Finland, England) and the United States. Somalis in the US live predominantly in New York, Los Angeles, Washington DC, and more recently San Diego and Seattle.
Language
The universal language in Somalia is Somali, an afroasiatic language that is closely related to Oromiffa and more distantly related to Swahili and the semitic languages of Arabic, Hebrew, and Amharic. Although written for many years, a uniform orthography was not adopted until 1973. The vast majority of the population is Moslem (>99%), and thus Arabic is a second common language. Until the 1970′s, education was conducted in the language of colonial rule, thus older Somalis from northern Somalia are conversant in English and those from southern Somalia are conversant in Italian. The government sponsored literacy campaigns in the 1970s and 1980s and education was free at all levels until 1991.
Interpersonal Relationships
Names, Naming
Somali names have three parts. The first name is the given name, and is specific to an individual. The second name is the name of the child’s father, and the third name is the name of the child’s paternal grandfather. Thus siblings, both male and female, will share the same second and third names. Women, when they marry, do not change their names. By keeping the name of their father and grandfather, they are, in effect, maintaining their affiliation with their clan of birth.
Status, Role, Prestige
Nothing written at this time
Greetings and Displays of Respect
Many social norms are derived from Islamic tradition, and thus may be similiar to other Islamic countries. The common way to greet someone is to say salam alechem (roughly translated as “God bless you”) and to shake their hand. Due to Islamic tradition, men and women do not touch each other. Thus men shake the hands of other men, and women shake each other’s hands. When departing, the common phrase is nabad gelyo (“goodbye”). Respect is paid to the elders of the community. Elders are addressed as “aunt” or “uncle,” even if they are strangers.
General Etiquette
The right hand is considered the clean and polite hand to use for daily tasks such as eating, writing, and greeting people. If a child begins to show left-handed preference, the parents will actively try to train him or her to use the right hand. Thus left-handedness is very uncommon in Somalia.
As proscribed by Moslem tradition, married women are expected to cover their bodies including their hair. In Somalia, some Somali women wear veils to cover their faces, but few do in the U.S. as they find this a difficult custom to adhere to in American society. Pants are not a generally accepted form of attire for women, but may be worn under a skirt.
The traditional womens dress is called a hejab, and the traditional clothing for a man is called a maawis. The snug-fitting hat that men wear is a qofe.
Marriage, Family and Kinship
Marriage
Marriages can either be arranged or be a result of personal choice. The common age of marriage is around 14 or 15 years old. Men who can afford to do so, may have up to 4 wives, as is customary in Islamic tradition. However, not all wealthy men exercise this option. In urban areas, a man with multiple wives provides separate homes for his different families. Whether these families interact or not depends on the preference of the individuals involved. In rural areas, it is more common for a man with more than one wife to have a single household, where the families care for the farm or livestock together.
Gender Roles
As in many Islamic cultures, adult men and women are separated in most spheres of life. Although some women in the cities hold jobs, the preferred role is for the husband to work and the wife to stay at home with the children. Female and male children participate in the same educational programs and literacy among women is relatively high.
Family and Kinship Structure
There are several main clans in Somalia and many, many subclans. In certain regions of the country a single subclan will predominate, but as the Somalis are largely nomadic, it is more common for several subclans to live intermixed in a given area. Membership in a clan is determined by paternal lineage. Marriage between clans is common. When a woman marries a man of another clan, she becomes a member of that clan, though retains connection with her family and it’s clan.
Extended Families
Living with extended families is the norm. Young adults who move to the city to go to school live with relatives rather than live alone. Similarly, people who do not marry tend to live with their extended families. Divorce does occur, though proceedings must be initiated by the husband.
Reproduction
Pregnancy
Childbearing usually commences shortly after marriage. A woman’s status is enhanced the more children she bears. Thus is not unusual for a Somali family to have seven or eight children. The concept of planning when to have or not to have children has little cultural relevance for Somalis.
Child Birth
Expectant and newly-delivered mothers benefit from a strong network of women within Somali culture. Before a birth, the community women hold a party (somewhat like a baby shower) for the pregnant woman as a sign of support. Births most frequently occur at home, and are attended by a midwife.
Post-Partum Practices
Newborn care includes warm water baths, sesame oil massages, and passive stretching of the baby’s limbs. An herb called malmal is applied to the umbilicus for the first 7 days of life (malmal is available in the U.S. in some Asian markets).
When a child is born, the new mother and baby stay indoors at home for 40 days, a time period known as afatanbah. Female relatives and friends visit the family and help take care of them. This includes preparing special foods such as soup, porridge, and special teas. During afatanbah, the mother wears earrings made from string placed through a clove of garlic, and the baby wears a bracelet made from string and malmal (an herb) in order to ward away the Evil Eye (see Traditional Health Practices below). Incense (myrrh) is burned twice a day in order to protect the baby from the ordinary smells of the world, which are felt to have the potential to make him or her sick. At the end of the 40 days there is a celebration at the home of a friend or relative. This marks the first time the mother or baby has left the home since the delivery. There is also a naming ceremony for the child. In some families this occurs within the first 2-3 weeks of the baby’s life, in other families, the naming ceremony is held at the same time as the celebration at the end of afatanbah. These ceremonies are big family gatherings with lots of food, accompanied by the ritual killing of a goat and prayers.
Infancy, Childhood, and Socialization
Ceremonials During Infancy and Childhood
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Infant Feeding, Care
Breastfeeding is the primary form of infant nutrition. It is common to breastfeed a child until 2 years of age. Supplementation with animal milks (camel, goat, cow) early in the neonatal period is common. This is especially true during the first few days of life, as colostrum is considered unhealthy. Camel’s milk is considered to be the most nutritious of animal milks. A few Somalis use bottles, but more commonly, infants, including newborns are offered liquids in a cup. A mixture of rice and cow’s milk is introduced at about 6 months of age, and subsequent solid foods after that. Most Somali women are uncomfortable with the Western idea of pumping breastmilk. They believe that human milk shouldn’t be stored because it will go bad.
Child Rearing Practices
Diapering is not common in Somalia. When the baby is awake, the mother will hold a small basin in her lap and then hold her baby in a sitting position over the basin at regular time intervals. Somali mothers claim that within a short period of time infants are trained to use the “potty.” At nighttime, a piece of plastic is placed between the mattress and the bedding. The bedding and plastic are cleaned daily.
Adolescence, Adulthood, and Old Age
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Nutrition and Food
Breastfeeding is the predominant form of nutrition for children under the age of 2 years. Southern Somalia has a large agricultural and international trading component to its economy, thus, in southern Somalia diets are richer in green vegetables, corn, and beans. Southern Somalis, especially those in the cities are more familiar with Western foods such as pasta and canned goods. Northern Somalia’s nomadic lifestyle fosters a diet that is heavier in milk and meat. Diets there also have a large component of rice, which is obtained through trade.
For beverages, there are black and brown teas (largely imported from China) and a coffee drink that is made from the covering of the coffee beans rather than from the beans themselves.
See related:
Food and Fasting in Somali Culture
Report on Somali Diet: Common Dietary Beliefs and Practices of Somali Participants in WIC Nutrition Education Groups
Available formats: Word Document | PDF
Drinks, Drugs, and Indulgence
Qat,(also spelled khat, chat, kat) is a mild stimulant used by some Somali’s. It is derived from fresh leaves from the catha edulis tree. When the leaves are chewed, the active stimulant ingredient, cathinone, is released. Qat is felt to make ones thoughts sharper and is often used in conjunction with studying. It is only used by men, and it’s use is more common in Northern Somalia and the Ogaden. Qat historically has been listed by the DEA as a schedule IV drug (unrestricted), however recently it was changed to a schedule I drug (most restricted) due to concerns for potential abuse.
Religious Beliefs and Practices
Almost all Somalis are Sunni Moslems. For those who practice Islam, religion has a much more comprehensive role in life than is typical in the Americas or Europe. Islam is a belief system, a culture, a structure for government, and a way of life. Thus in Somalia, attitudes, social customs, and gender roles are primarily based on Islamic tradition. For example, the Islamic calendar is based on the lunar month and begins numbering from the year Mohammed arrived in Medina; both this and the Julian calendar are officially recognized and used.
Islamic theology and religious practice is complex, and is the object of intense study and scholarship within the Islamic community. When Moslems try to convey the fundamental aspects of their religious beliefs to non-Moslems, they emphasize the belief in one God, Allah, and dedication to the study of the teachings of Allah’s prophets. The prophet Mohammed is central among these, though other respected prophets include the Biblical patriarch Abraham and Jesus. Moslems are quick to point out that while Mohammed is revered and his teachings form the core of Islamic thought and practice, he is not worshipped as God in the way that Christians worship Jesus.
Important religious holidays include Ramadan, Id al-Fitr, Id Arafa, and Moulid. Ramadan is the 9th month of the lunar calendar. During the 30 days of the holiday, people pray, fast and refrain from drinking during the day and eat only at night. An important aspect of this holiday for medical providers to be aware of, is that medications will often be taken only at nighttime. Pregnant women, people who are very ill, and children (usually interpreted as under 14 years old) are exempted from the fast. Some religious observance of Ramadan extends the fast for an additional 7 days.
Immediately following Ramadan is the holiday of Id al-Fitr which marks the end of the fast. This celebration involves big family gatherings and gifts for children. Id Arafa ( also called Id al-Adhuha) is the most important holiday of the calendar year. This is the time for making pilgrimages (hajjia) to Saudi Arabia. Moulid is another important holiday, occurring in the month after Ramadan. It commemorates the birth and death of the Prophet Mohammed.
Many religious holidays involve the ritual killing of a lamb or goat. In Seattle, families travel to a farm in Sumner, Washington, where they purchase the needed animal and perform the ritual slaughter. Islamic tradition forbids eating pork or drinking alcohol.
Somalis observe several secular holidays as well, these include a Memorial Day, Labor Day, an Independence Day (July 1) commemorating the 1960 independence and unification, and Mother’s Day.
Death
When a person is terminally ill, it is considered uncaring for a physician to tell them or their family that they are dying. It is acceptable to describe the extreme seriousness of an illness. When a death is impending, a special portion of the Koran, called yasin, is read at the bedside. Following a death, a person called a sheik is called to prepare the body. A female shek cares for women, and a male sheik cares for men. The sheik cleans and perfumes the body, places it it white clothes, and says the appropriate prayers. The deceased’s next of kin is responsible for digging the grave.
Birthdays are not celebrated, rather the anniversary of someone’s death is commemorated.
Traditional Medical Practices
Somali traditional medicine is practiced by “traditional doctors” who are ususally older men of the community who have learned their skills from older family members. They are especially adept at treating hepatitis, measles, mumps, chicken pox, hunch-back, facial droop, and broken bones. Modalities used include, fire-burning, herbal remedies, casting, and prayer. Fire-burning is a procedure where a stick from a special tree is heated till it glows and then applied to the skin in order to cure the illness. It is commonly used for hepatitis (identified as when the eyes, skin, and nails turn yellow and the urine turns dark), where the heated stick is applied once to each wrist and 4 times to the abdomen. It is also commonly used for malnutrition (marasmus); when the head seems to be large out of proportion with the body, the heated stick is applied to the head in order to reduce the head size. Pneumonia is treated with fire-burning, herbs, and sometimes percutaneous removal of fluid from the chest. Seizures are treated with herbs and readings from the Koran. Stomach-aches and back-aches are treated with the herb habakhedi, while rashes and sore throats are treated with a tea made from the herb dinse.
Traditional doctors are also responsible for helping to cure illnesses caused by spirits. Somalis have a concept of spirits residing within each individual. When the spirits become angry, illnesses such as fever, headache, dizziness, and weakness can result. The illness is cured by a healing ceremony designed to appease the spirits. These ceremonies involve reading the Koran, eating special foods, and burning incense. The illness is usually cured within 1 or 2 days of the ceremony.
In Somali culture there also exists the concept of the “Evil Eye.” A person can give someone else an Evil Eye either purposefully or inadvertently by directing comments of praise at that person, thereby causing harm or illness to befall them. For example, one does not tell someone else that they look beautiful, because that could bring on the Evil Eye. Similarly, Somali mothers cringe when doctors tell them that their babies are big and fat, out of fear the Evil Eye will cause something bad to happen to their child. More acceptable comments are to say that the child is “healthy” or “beautiful.”
Currently, there are no traditional doctors in Seattle.
Circumcision
Circumcision is universally practiced for both males and females. It is viewed as a rite of passage, allowing a person to become a fully accepted adult member of the community. It is commonly viewed as necessary for marriage, as uncircumcised people are seen as unclean.
Male circumcision is performed at various times between birth and 5 years of age. It is accompanied by a celebration involving prayers and the ritual slaying of a goat. It is performed either by a traditional doctor (see Traditional Medical Practices above) or by a nurse or doctor in a hospital.
Female circumcision is a practice common in equatorial Africa that is unfamiliar to many Westerners. Included under the term “female circumcision” are several different procedures in which varying amounts of genital tissue are removed. This ranges from the removal of the clitoral hood, leaving the rest of the genitalia intact (known as “sunna” circumcision), to removal of the clitoris and anterior labia minora, to removal of the clitoris, the entire labia minora, part of the labia majora, and suturing of the labia majora, leaving a posterior opening for passage of urine and menstrual flow. This latter procedure is known as infibulation, and is the most common form offemale circumcision in Somalia. In Somalia, the procedure is usually performed by female family members but is also available in some hospitals. It is usually performed between birth and 5 years of age.
In the last twenty years much attention has been focused on the medical andpsycho-social complications of female circumcision. (See references) However most Somali women view circumcision as normal, expected, and desirable. It has become the center of a debate about potentially harmful traditional cultural practices, and as such, has become a complex and emotionally charged subject. For Somali women in the United States there are many concerns about how their circumcisions will be cared for during childbirth and about whether they will be able to have their daughters circumcised. There are women in the Somali community in Seattle who are knowledgeable in how toperform infibulations, however, due to fear of legal reprisals have not performed them here. Western practitioners need to recognize that this is an important yet sensitive issue for Somali women, and strive to keep the lines of communication open in order to best serve the needs of their patients.
Experience with Western Medicine
In the Country of Origin
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In the United States
Most Somalis, especially those from the cities, have had at least some experience with Western-style medicine. Almost without exception, however, Somali’s associate nurses, doctors, and hospitals with ill-care. The concept of using the medical system to keep people healthy, such as with routine prenatal care and well child care, is unfamiliar.
The most common illnesses taken to Western hospitals are diarrhea, fever (usually representing malaria), and vomiting. Families almost universally receive an antibiotic at the hospital, setting a precedent for expectations in the United States. Oral rehydration therapy is common and familiar. Families are aware of colds, ear infections, and asthma (called asma or nef), though these are not common conditions. Families will bring their children to the hospital for a cold and receive oral medication which is effective against the symptoms, again, setting a precedent that they expect to be followed in the U.S. In Seattle, families are often very unhappy when they travel a long distance, wait to be seen in clinic, and are sent home with instructions that the illness will self-resolve.
Parasitic illness is relatively common, especially shistosomiasis with terminal hematuria. In a recent screening study at Harborview Medical Center, 72% of East African children (inclusive of Somali and other ethnic groups) had pathogenic fecal parasites. Most common were roundworms, giardia, ameba, and hymenolepsis nana. Somalis also describe a prevalent disease where small worms crawl under the fingernails (perhaps tungiasis?).
Somalis are familiar with tuberculosis. In Somalia, if a person develops tuberculosis they are quarrantined to a special TB hospital for many months. Many Somalis were exposed to TB in the refugee camps where TB control was poor.
AIDS is a recognized but uncommon illness (<1% incidence) compared to other East African nations.
Community Structure
Seattle Community Life
Community Organization
There are a number of Somali service agencies, community organizations and businsses in and around the Seattle area. For more complete information visit Somali Community Organizations and Businesses in Seattle
Neighborhoods
In the Seattle metropolitan area, the Somali community has predominantly settled in the Central Area, Rainier Beach, and in SeaTac.
Common Acculturation Issues
There are several areas where the differences between Somali and American culture are apparent and cause difficulties. For example, American apartments are rarely large enough to accommodate families of 9 or 10 people. In practice, this means that many Somali families have been divided between 2 or more apartments. This places emotional strains on families that are often struggling financially. In addition, due to Moslem prohibitions against interactions between adult men and women, Somali women have a strong preference to work with female interpreters and health care providers.
However, thus far, Somalis in Seattle state they have not encountered significant problems associated with acculturation. As recent immigrants with a strong religious and cultural heritage, most families have found it easy to continue traditional dress and cultural practices. At those times when Somali adolescents feel the pressure to assimilate more strongly than their parents, usually a mutually acceptable compromise can be accomplished. For example, several Somali families feel comforatable letting their children go to school in Western clothes (as long as this does not include shorts), as long as the children change into Somali clothing when they come home from school. Families send their children to religious school on evenings and weekends in order to preserve Islamic education and tradition. Some attend a Pan-Islamic school at 25th Ave and Cherry. Others attend the newly created Somali Islamic school at Rainier and Brandon.
Visit at: ethnomed.org
Self Improvement and Self Growth
By Remez Sasson
Nowadays, the terms self improvement, self growth and self help have become popular. We find many books about these subjects and many websites too. It seems that people are turning inside to find the solution to their problems. They seek knowledge, techniques, workshops, lectures and teachers who can show them the way. People begin to understand that self improvement and self growth improve the quality of life.
The subconscious mind is one of the major keys to self improvement and self growth. By changing the contents of the subconscious mind you change your habits, behavior and attitudes. This is brought about through visualization, affirmations, meditation and by analyzing behavior and habits.
The process of inner change requires inner work. It is not enough to read, you have to practice what you read, and this needs time and effort. There is no such thing as instant self improvement. Any inner change takes time, and there must be motivation, desire, ambition, perseverance and dedication. Outer and inner resistance and opposition must be taken into account too. Upon starting any self improvement program, most people usually encounter inner resistance that come from their old habits and their subconscious mind, and also resistance and opposition from the people around them.
The desire to change, build new habits and improve must be strong enough to resist any laziness, desire to give up and the ridicule or opposition from family, friends or colleagues.
Let me tell you something about myself. I have been drawn to self improvement techniques from an early age, and have regarded them as a source for inner strength, happiness and a way to a better life. One of the most useful techniques that I have discovered was a simple, but very effective technique. It consisted of watching how people behaved and acted in various situations, and then looking inside myself, to find out if I behaved in the same way under the same conditions.
When I saw people with certain traits of character, or a certain kind of behavior that I did not like, I examined myself to see whether I possessed them too. If I did, I visualized and rehearsed in my mind a different sort of behavior. In my mind’s eye I saw myself with the opposite traits of character. I visualized myself in situations, where I manifested the new behavior.
When I encountered traits of character or behavior, which I liked, I used to think about their advantages and benefits and their importance in my life. Here too, I used visualization and affirmations and endeavored to act in this way in daily life.
In this way I have learned and benefited a lot from the behavior and actions of the people around me, at work, at home, in the street and everywhere else, from people in real life, and from watching people on the screen. It was never for the purpose of judging them or taking advantage of them, but for learning how to act, react and behave in a better way. This process had another benefit. It increased the knowledge about how the mind and thoughts influence the behavior and actions of people.
How can you too take advantage of this technique for self improvement and growth?
1. Look around you and watch how people behave in various circumstances. Watch the people you meet at home, work, at the supermarket, on the bus, train and on the street. Watch and learn also from people interviewed on TV, and also from movies.
2. Watch how people talk, walk and react, and how they are consequently treated by others.
3. Pay attention to the way people use their voice and how they react to others’ voices. Watch how you feel and act when people shout or speak softly. Watch what happens when people get angry, restless and upset and what happens if they are calm and relaxed.
4. If you do not like what you see, analyze what and why you do not like it, and then analyze your own behavior to find out whether you behave in the same way. Be honest and impartial in your analysis.
5. If you discover that you manifest some of these undesirable traits of character and behavior, affirm to yourself often, that every time you manifest these traits or behavior, you are going to be conscious and aware of them, and do your best to avoid them.
6. Play in your mind a mental scene of how you would like to behave. Repeat it several times a day, every day.
7. When you detect a sort of behavior or character traits you like and desire to possess, try to act in a similar way. Here too, visualize several times each day a scene, where you act and behave in that different way.
8. You can also decide to change some habit and behavior patterns and develop new ones, because you believe they are necessary and beneficial, even without seeing them in others first.
9. Think and visualize over and over again in your mind how you would like to act and behave. Constantly remind yourself of the changes you desire to make, and strive to act according to them. Each time that you find yourself acting according to your old habit, remember your decision to change and improve, and act accordingly.
10. Do not be disappointed or frustrated if you do not attain fast results. It does not matter how many times you fail or forget to behave as you desired. Persevere with your efforts and never give up, and you will begin to see how you and your life change
successconciousness.com
Mind Power and Success
The mind plays an important role in every success. In order to attain any kind of success, in any field, with minor everyday goals or with major goals, you need to exercise your mind power.
In minor or day-to-day desires, one usually knows what he wants to do or get, but when it comes to major goals, people often do not really know what they desire. They desire to do something big, but they don’t know what. One might have a vague idea and some vague desire, but this is not enough. To accomplish anything, and to use your mind power, you have to know exactly what it is you want to do. To focus your mind power on a goal, you need to have a clear and well defined goal. How do you go about that?
You have first to think or meditate, to find out what is it that you want to accomplish or gain. For this you need focused and clear thinking. This ability can be improved and strengthened by practice.
After discovering what you really want to accomplish, you need to come up with a plan for action. You need to know what you have to do first and how to proceed. All of this requires planning, which means using the power of the mind.
After deciding on a goal and coming up with a plan, you need to hold in your mind a clear mental image of your goal. You need to see it accomplished. This step requires that you use your imagination, which is another power of the mind. Not everyone can visualize clear mental images, but regular training of the imagination can do wonders. You may, for example, look at photos of what you want to achieve, and then close your eyes, and try to see it in your imagination. This will enhance your ability to visualize.
At this point you have to display patience, self-discipline and the power to persist in your efforts. This requires a one pointed mind.
Affirmations are another useful mental tool for you to use. What you affirm sinks into the subconscious mind, becomes part of the subconscious mind, and consequently affects your behavior and actions. If your affirmations are positive, they lead you to success.
Another important power of the mind is thought transference. You need to be able to transmit your thoughts to other people, who would aid you with your plans. Often, you have to persuade others to invest in your plans or to help you in other ways. It is not enough just to talk with them, you need to believe in what you are saying; you need to be enthusiastic and persuasive, otherwise they won’t listen and won’t care. You need to be able to reject your and their doubts. To be able to do so, you need concentration, control over your thoughts, willpower, self-discipline and patience. All these are mental tools and skills.
Motivation is another mental and emotional power that you require. How can you achieve anything if you are not motivated enough? To increase your motivation and enthusiasm, think often of your goal, about its advantages and benefits, and how it will change your life. Doing so, will strengthen and your motivation.
Your thoughts, which are part of your mind, possess power. The thoughts that you most often think tend to come true. If you pour your mental energy into the same thoughts or mental images day after day, they will become stronger and stronger, and would consequently affect your attitude, expectations, behavior and actions. These thoughts and mental images can even be subconsciously perceived by other people, who would then offer you help or opportunities. Your thoughts can also create what is usually termed as coincidence. They can attract into your life corresponding events, situations and opportunities.
Not every thought turns into reality. A thought has to be repeated often, and be tinged with emotions, in order to come true. Doubts fears and worries tend to destroy what you build with the power of your mind. This means that you need to clear your mind of negative thoughts and doubts. You might say that this is not possible, but it is, through proper training, which you can find at this website, in the articles, ebooks and books.
By Remez Sasson
successconciousness.com
MAXAA SILLAN MAXAA SUGAN????
Maxaa Sillan maxaa Sugan?
Mugdiga waayahani xambaarsanyahay, hamuunta inagu gaaxatayay iyo godol la’aanta maankeena, ayaa sababtay in ceeryaamo fuusho aayeheena, ladhka xumada boogahu soo kicinayaan ayaa wiiqay riyadeeni, bulsho kasta waxa ay ku naalootaa jiilkeeda soo koraya, waxayna u carbisaa hogaaminta mustaqbalkeeda, iyo u horseedida nolol cusub.
Wakhtigan seeftu jarayso ayaa waxa ina dul heehaabaya humaag xambaarsan farxad, murugo, walaac, yidiidiilo iyo rajooyin. Garashadeena sabooshay iyo basaasta uu jahligu inagu keenay ayaa hadheeyey inaynu garawsano kaalinteeni iyo doorkeeni mustaqbalka. Dhanka kale waxa ina dhinac socda fursado dahabi ah oo abuuri kara inaynu ka guulaysano caqaqbadahan inagu meersan.
Inaynu maskaxda furnaa waa laga maarmaan, tacliinta ayaa fure u ah in jiilkeenu keeni karo mustaqbal dahab ku qoran, halka taariikhdii ina dhaaftay ay tahay mid ku qormaysa dhiig. Xaqiiqda dhabta ah iyo waaqiciga suuro galka ah oo aynu fahamno ayaa ah iniinta soo saaraysa aqoonta iyo xikmada, taasaa inagu dhalin karta inaynu ciida dihin ee carrigeena calaf ka soo saarno. Taas macnaheedu waa in aynu garwaaqsano in haddii aan jahliga laga bixin in aan baahida laga xorobeyn, waa inaynu garanaa inta baahi iyo sinaan daro jirto inaan cadaaladi jirayn, waa inaynu ogaano inta cadaalad daro jirto inaan nabad iyo xasilooni la helayn, marka xasilooni daro timaadona in mujtamacu dulinimo kaw u noqonayso, in la cuudiyaana ay cakirnaan doonto.
Waan ogsoonahay inaynu dulinimadan jahligu keenay ee aynu eednay hor istaagayna horumarkeeni, taariikhda dalka, iyo tan dadkaba baalka madow inooga xardhay aynu ka bixi karno, ugana bixi karno qalinka oo aynu suntano.
Asxaabtayda mustaqbalkaygaay waxay tahay inaynu isu diyaarino beri waxa soo socdo, abuurnona jawi wax wada qabsi iyo isku tiirsi ku salaysan meeshana ka saarno nacaybka malaayiin, colaada, jahliga iyo cudurada ragaadiyey bulshadeena, sidii qoriga qalin loogu badali lahaa waa mid iyana inaga ina sugaysa, isusidashada qorigana ugu badali lahayn ubax in laysu qaado, tanina ay inooga baahan tahay wakhti, fakir, dadaal, iyo samir dheeraada. Waynu la soconaa in dhalinyarada iyo haweenku ay yihiin kuwa dib u dhisa dalkooda, unkana dib u kabashada dhanka aqooneed, dhaqaale, fikradeed iyo dhanka bulshoba, waxaynuna u baahanahay inay meesha ka saarno wixii inakala qaybinaya isuguna nimaadno wixii ina midaynaya. Waxaan xasuusan karnaa in dhalinyaradii ay ka midka ahaayeen Jomo Kenyatta, Kwame Nkrumah, George Padmore iyo kuwo kaloo badani ay ahaayeen kuwii abuuray dhaqdhaqaaqii Pan Africanism, kuna midha dhalay in Africa ka madax banaanaato gumaysiga! Akhriste xaalku waa maqaar saar! Akhriste hadaba Muragadani maxay tahay isa soo taraysaa? Sharaftii dadkeeni maxaa geliyey hoosiis? Maankeeni miyuu gudhay? Akhriste maxaa dhacay maxaa rogan? Maxaa sillan maxaa sugan?
Guntii iyo gebagebadii murtidu waa dhaxalka u hadha jiilka soo koraya, waxana halkan idiinku soo gudbinayaa gabay iyo masafo uu tiriyey Xaaji Aadam Axmed Xasan (Xaaji Aadam Afqalooc) Illaahay janadii ha ka waraabiyee, halka gabaygu inagu guubaabinayo, tusaalaynayona waajibka ka saran jiilka soo kacaya hanashada hawlaha dalkoooda iyo dadkoodaba, iyo inay beri mudan doonto kaalintii hogaaminta dalka, gabaygani wuxuu ina dareensiin doonaa kaalinta ina sugaysa, xogogaalna inooga dhigayaa dayaca dalka haddii aynaan jiilkeenani u kicin, masafaduna waxay inagu guubaabinaysaa waxbarashada, waxa kale oo masafadu si cad inoo tusini sida cilmigu saldhiga ugu yahay horumarka dalkasta iyo bulsho kasta.
Gabaygan oo magaciisa la yiraahdo Dhalinyarada iyo jiiftada oo iyana magaceedu yahay Ubaxii dalkeenow ka akhri hoos:
1. Hadduu geed engego xaabadaa lagu idlaystaaye
2. Mid yaroo iniintiisa baa soo awaal baxa’e
3. Usgaa anfaaciga hadhkiyo oodda kaafiya’e
4. Dadkana odaygu goortuu ka baxo iyo islaantiisu
5. Ubadkooda hadha baa tabcoo aayatiin hela’e
6. Aadam iyo xaawa iyo markii kaynta la abuuray
7. Sidaasay arwaaxda iyo dhirtuba kku isirrayeene
8. Ummaddan shabaabkeedu hanan waw ayaan xumo’e
9. Inamo iyo hablaba waxaad tihiin aaranki kacay’e
10. Itaal gabe dadkiinnii hore oo waydin aragtaane
11. Adinkaa ammaanada xilkii eeggan qaabiliye
12. Iskiin wax u qabsada nolosha waw udub dhexaadkiiye
13. Israafka iyo fadhigu waa waxaad ku ambanaysaan’e
14. Axmaqnimo wakhtiga kaaga tegay oohin kugu reebye
15. Ayaantii ku dhaaftaana waa waxan la eegeyne
16. Arsaaq yaridu waa caajiskaan la ogglayn hawle
17. Ma amdaro cirkuye lacagta waa lagu adeegaaye
18. Axadkii kaslaan ihina sabool abadi weeyaane
19. Rabbi nimuu laxaadka u ebyey oo camal awood waayey
20. oo aan shaqo naftiisa oggolayn waa abaal dhacaye
21. Istiqlaalka waxa taam ka dhiga waa adduunyada’e
22. Mar haddii dhaqaaluhu akhiro calunku iimowye
23. Kolkaasuu amaahiyo baryaba arad ku doonaaye
24. Icaanaduna xornimaday u tahay eebadii melege
25. Albaabkuu gumaystuhu ka xado umada weeyaane
26. Wixii uu ajnabi kuu qabtona aayatiin ma lehe
27. Isku tiirsi baydiin egiyo ururin xoolaade
28. Ictsimada Islaamkaa la yadhi gebi ahaantoode
29. Aaydaha diinta iyio sharcigu waynagu amreene
30. Axaaddissta Nebigey ku timi saadu aragtaane
31. Ikhtilaafku waa naar jannana waa isu imaade
32. Aradkiyo dadkuba waa dhismaha waxay u aayaane
33. Ragannjimo nimaan tacab ku arag aayar heli waaye
34. Ishtihaada gobannimo dhibaa lagu ilaashaaye
Xaaji Aadan Axmed Xasan (Xaaji Aadan Afqalooc),waxa kale oo uu heestan Ubaxii dalkeenow uga jeeday inuu inagu guubaabiyo waxbarashada, inoona xaqiijiyo, waxa kale oo uu si cad heestani inoo tusini sida cilmigu saldhiga ugu yahay horumarka dalkasta iyo bulsho kasta.
1. Doogada xayaadkiyo ubaxii dalkeennow
2. Rabbi haydin daayee tacliinta u dadaala
3. Dadku waa isku abuure jahlaa dilay intiisee
4. Ubixii dalkeennow tacliiinta u dedaale,
5. Cilmigu waa daruuriyo hogol idiin da’aysa’e
6. Cilmigu waa daawada ruuxa indhaha u dillaacsha’e
7. Cilmigu waa dariiq nuura halkaad adigu doonto’e
8. Cilmigu waa kan diinteennu dalba tidhoo ammaantaye
9. Cilmigu waa kan dawladaha dayaxa u horseedaye
10. Cilmigu waa kan daabbadha dusha mara sameeyaye
11. Cilmigu waa kan dulimaadka batrool lagag doonaye
12. Cilmigu waa kan daaddihiya doonyaha Abboollo’e
13. Cilmigu waa kan lagu duulay laguna soo degaayo’e
14. Ubaxoo daleennow tacliinta u dedaala
15. Kuwo idinla da’ ahbaa dayuurado sameeya’e
16. Adinkuna ku daydoo tacliinta u dadaala
17. Deriskii habsaamiyo saacaddii dayacantana
18. Dibbaan loo arkaynine tacliinta u dedaala
19. Daacad walideyn iyo daryeel macalliimiintaad
20. Derejada ku gaadhiye tacliinta u dedaala
21. Dadkiinnaa idiin aayi weli adhiga daaqiyo
22. Dool leh awrka guura e tacliinta u dadaala
23. Dahabka aydin qodateene tacliinta u dedaala
24. Gobollada dib u dhacay baa idin soo deyaaya’e
25. Aad xorriyad u doonteene tacliinta u dedaala
26. Dulmigii horeetiyo dib dhicii ma joogo’e
27. Daawada bilaadkoo tacliinta u dadaala
28. Yididdiilo dhiniyo dabayl caafimaad baa
29. Dalkeennii ka muuqda e tacliinta u dedaala
30. Dawlad ishtiraakiyo madax daacad u ah baa
31. Rabbi inoogu deeqee tacliinta u dedaala
32. Duco iyo salaam aan golaha weyn u dirayaan
33. Hadalkii ku daayaye tacliinta u dedaala.
Abdinasser Ahmed H. Adam Afqallo’
Erigavo, Sanaag
golishoney@hotmail.com
The Somali Family
The Somali are Moslems, permitted to marry up to four wives at a time. To have five wives would be as serious a crime as bigamy in countries practicing monogamy. In actual fact very few men have more than one or sometimes two wives, since limits are imposed, as in all countries, by economic sanctions.
The nomadic stock-herder needs a large family to handle the family stock, and one wife is seldom able to bring up a sufficiently large family to maturity. Polygamy is therefore a natural custom in a thriving community of nomadic stock-herders. Theoretically the women obey their men folk in accordance with religious law (as in Christian). In fact the woman’s position is one of considerable power as long as she carries out the duties imposed on her by the nomadic life. If she successfully tends the folks, makes and erect the movable houses, fetches firewood and water, butchers, cooks, bears children and in her spare time weaves mats, makes ropes, and gathers wild barriers. She is the queen in her own household.
The man’s work in nomadic stock-herding is not always so obvious to the alien observer. The man is seen driving camels, and watering them occasionally. His work of prospecting new grazing and looking for lost is not so frequently noticed. Such work may entail several days walking, often without food or water, perhaps alone in the bush armed only with a club or spear, or even a knife or a stick sharpened at both ends (Garmagati), as protection against lions or enemies. Such feats of endurance, and suffering of hunger and thirst, are frequent in the life of the nomad stockman, and when he is seen sitting down in a “coffee shop” to drink a cup of tea and listen to the news in other people’s conversation, it must not be inferred that he spends his life in idle chatter, whilst his wife carries wood and water, and goes about her business in the village.
There is no doubt that the nomadic life depends on a very delicate state of balance between the stock and vegetation cover of the country, often resulting in famine in bad years. The Somali nomad must expect lean periods of famine and drought, and only a very few attain plenty for more than short periods in the best months of years of good rainfall. It is therefore obvious that, living with the prospect of semi-arid at intervals, he works extremely hard to live at all. Whether the nomadic way of life can be improved by combined organization of the nomadic tribes of the area, and improved co-operation with the agricultural and township communities, remains to be seen.
The Somali family seems to average about five persons; father, mother, and three children.
There is an extremely seems high percentage of deaths of children, particularly at very and during weaning, but it is believed that about three children on an average reach maturity, though families of 24 or more are not infrequently brought up by one father.
The value of male life, as assessed by tribal custom, is one hundred camels, and that of a female fifty camels. Customary law varies between tribes and groups of tribes, and though individual know the customs of some tribes, it is doubtful whether any know the and detailed customs of the whole protectorate, as subject worthy of patient research and published codification.
Mahad
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