Gratitude

When The Cock Crows At Dawn…

jacquelineobyikocha

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Phew! We are halfway there before the first weekend since school resumed. Thanks to the alarm clock we have been able to crawl reluctantly out of bed again, even before the rooster crows – not that I have heard or seen any rooster in this concrete jungle that I live in; except on a plate – but this hardwired brain of this African child still remembers the cocks crow at dawn back in my fathers’ house.

I recall those days when we would wake up early, sweep the house with the broom made from palm fronds and bent to the waist, after which you dusted the furniture and ran several errands for my mother as she prepared the meal before you could get ready to go to school.

Things haven’t changed so much except the broom sweeping part – thank God for vacuum cleaners – I still wake up early to do the necessaries before we set off for the days business of school, work, after school etc.

It’s ironical that when I was back in my parents home, I thought that when I got married and had my kids, I would become what we refer to back home as ‘Thick Madam,’ who would roll around in bed and rise like an indolent Cleopatra with a retinue of handmaiden’s waiting to rub cocoa butter on my feet 😉

Well, the opposite of Thick Madam is the case. I hop out of bed, reluctantly resisting tossing the alarm clock out of the window whilst I hustle the children to get ready like a Sergeant Major as I run a mental list in my head of all that needs to be attended to for the day.

Today as I watched my trio file out after the runaround of getting ready, I acknowledge once again the beauty of having these blessed children. My house might be a bit messy most of the time but I wouldn’t have it differently. I appreciate the daily shebangs as these young souls grow, for I know that one day in the near future they will fly my coop, no longer littering the counter with breadcrumbs, dumping their stuff where it shouldn’t be and warming the house with their noise.

Who knows maybe in the near future, my house would look like the pages of an interior decor catalogue and I just might get to become a ‘Thick Madam,’ after all, but for now, it’s all wonderful and I am thankful to be like a Sergeant Major rising when the cock crows at dawn.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

There are several gratitude/thankful platforms in the blogosphere that you can tune into and get your ithankful going on. I can’t express in words the enormity of Joy and fulfilment that comes from having a heart of gratitude. Please check out Maria’s blog, Colline’s blog and Bernadette’s for thankful/gratitude challenges.

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Published by jacquelineobyikocha

A wordsmith with a vivid imagination, an eager mind and a burning desire to carve out tales. As I journey with my muse to that land of all possibilities and self discovery, I hope my personal evolution will serve as a beacon of inspiration for anyone who chooses to stop by.

23 thoughts on “When The Cock Crows At Dawn…”

  3. Everyone’s getting back in the swing of things with school back in session! You can forget about having that pristine house Jackie cuz once the kids are out…they’ll soon be bringing the grand kids by to finish what they started!! 😀

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  4. Your post really resonates with me as my daughters started school this week, too. And, like you, I feel so blessed that I was chosen as their mom. Good luck in the new school year!

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  8. That expression “Thick Madame” made me laugh. I suppose the American equivalent my be a “Kept Woman” or “Sat Down” meaning that you don’t have to work outside the home because you have a man to take care of you. So far for me none of the previous have happened either the “Thickness” or the Sat Down part. I would not mind gaining a few pounds and it would be great NOT to do overtime. Those extra hours mean extra money but also less sleep and coming home late at all hours of the night. Ugh! Obviously being close to 60 I’ll never have kids (probably just more cats or dogs) but I would like to have a partner or companion. I was just debating the “need or rather want a man” conversation with Jesus after struggling for nearly 30 minutes to get a mattress cover on my mattress when said mattress is twice my size. Some chores a woman does need a man’s help especially when stuff is either too heavy to pick up or falls on you because you are petite!!

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I love it when you decorate my heart with your words..

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