'No-school" days - I love them! 😍
I think children spend too much time in school lately and I'm 'happy' when we have 'no-school' days. Isn't life more than literacy, numeracy and science? Books have their place - an important one at that, but we should be conscious of a balanced life. Integrity. Being playful. Being helpful. Being respectful. Learning skills. Getting better at music and crafts. Some of these need a 'training ground' outside of 'school' sometimes.
We all need to be lifelong learners; picking up vital lessons from everyday activities and experiences- whether 'structured' or not. I'm very proud of children who get medals for various subjects in school (everyone should be encouraged to do their best all the time!), but I also appreciate the fact that some schools now give 'awards' for things like 'the most thoughtful learner', 'the most promising student', 'the most resilient pupil', 'the class peacemaker', etc. We each have our strengths and should be well-rounded.
Today was a 'no school day' for some members of our household & I got to watch the movie "Mufasa" at the Silverbird Cinema at the Accra Mall with them. I like weekday outings when I get the opportunity because some places are a bit too crowded for me at the weekends. I like the concept of the 'circle of life' displayed in the Lion King movies. Everybody dey the circle inside 🤩 - those we consider "strays", the ones some call "outcasts", the young, the elderly, the children, the strong, the weak, the poor, the rich, etc. We are all involved and there are times and seasons for each of us. That's why "virtues" like respect for all, 'courtesy for boys & girls', patience, humility, teamwork, consideration, etc should be encouraged.
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| Lovely 'Ghana-must-go' picture story @Accra Mall. |
I must commend many of the 'private schools' in Ghana 🇬🇭 before I continue ...for doing their best in exposing learners to music, sports, arts & culture, etc... and for providing some 'out of school' experiences for learners (camps, excursions to very relevant places, etc). A friend recently told me about a school that has about 4 'out of school' 'excursion' days every term, and I met members of a Book Club from a bilingual school at the e-Ananse library at East Legon, a couple of weeks ago. Kudos to our school heads, teachers, and the entire school communities. Parents, aunties, uncles, and the entire 'village' of people raising the next generation should however not 'sublet' everything to schools and churches; we each have a part to play.
One main thing I picked up from the movie "Mufasa", though there were many other lessons, is that we should be very careful what we do when we feel betrayed/disappointed. Taka, a prince, who had formed brotherly bonds with Mufasa, a 'stray', fell into the wrong camp when he felt betrayed. What do we do when we feel disappointed by 'brothers' and 'sisters'? Where do we go? Who do we talk to in our down times? Where we go matters. Who we speak to really matters; they may either encourage us to have the right perspective, or worsen things through 'bad advice'.
In the Bible, Joseph was betrayed by his brothers but he kept the right perspective through it all. “I am Joseph, your brother,” he said, “the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed or angry with yourselves that you sold me into this place, because it was to save lives that God sent me before you. For the famine has covered the land these two years, and there will be five more years without plowing or harvesting. God sent me before you to preserve you as a remnant on the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. Therefore it was not you who sent me here, but God, who has made me a father to Pharaoh—lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt. Genesis 45:4-8
Isn't it sad to face the reality that some of the people who cause us a lot of pain are the people supposed to be closest to us? That's one of the flaws of this 'circle of life' we find ourselves in. Jesus said, "in this world, you will have trouble...but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world". May the Lord help us run to Him first with our cares and burdens, whenever we are disappointed or betrayed by someone, a close work colleague, a family member, spouse, sibling, etc. May we see things as God does. He has promised to work all things out for the good of those who love Him, for His glory. Amen.
Always remember: "There is no lion as large as an elephant, as strong as an oxen, as fast as a cheetah, or tall as a giraffe, who can soar and scout as wide and far as the cranes and hawks in the sky. So, can't you see? Every being has a place in the circle of life. My breath is your breath. My fight is your fight! I will not bend to evil, and neither should you!"- Mufasa, as he addresses the animals of Milele.
