a cooking pot and twisted tales
Thoughts and Tales…A Lifestyle Blog with a Zing.
Mama said to me, baby,
never gripe and whine about
how heavy your cross is,
‘cos in the warehouse of crosses
you might find that
yours is the lightest of all.
©
Jacqueline
Mama said to me, baby,
never make fun
of the burden borne by others,
—
‘cos if they perchance share their load with you,
you would find that
its weight could bend your spine.
©
Jacqueline
This is an excerpt from my work-in-progress.
You can read my new book, Unbridled on Kindle Unlimited for free.
Mama said to me, baby if you find that you are not happy there,
never choose to remain there in a sad state,
because you haven’t been planted like an Iroko tree.
Don’t you know that even an Iroko tree can decide to excuse itself
by choosing to rot and wither from within,
rather than suffer the insult of insolent birds?
©
Jacqueline
An excerpt from my work-in-progress.
You can read my book, Unbridled on Kindle Unlimited for free.
No one gets a mouthful of food by picking between another person’s teeth.
As I sat in a reflective mode of the things that I need to do, this old adage that my dad used to say sprouted in my mind and it was just as if I heard him repeat ‘no one gets a mouthful of food by picking between another person’s teeth.’
We sit and plan for things that we would do in future and sometimes from afar, we look at those who are doing things that we hope to do and the time just keeps ticking by.
We can learn from others, but when we don’t put our learnings and experience to use, it becomes a futile effort.
Someone could take crumbs from their table and give to another, but it would still remain crumbs that are given when the other person is inclined to do so.
Mundane Monday Challenge is created to find beauty in almost everything.
The challenge is simple. Find beauty in everyday mundane things, capture the beauty and upload the photographs.
Looking at this shrub that jutted proudly and stubbornly out of the half cemented, sandy patch brought a lot of thoughts to my mind in relation to human life and I’ll share a few:
My mother always says that “when the beat to the dance changes, you change your rhythm or you are out.”
When life gets uncomfortable one just doesn’t give up, but they look for other ways of turning the discomfort into a comfort zone. That’s the only way to survive, for surely harsh times will come, but might not endure.
When others are planting shallow roots, take the extra time to make yours several inches deeper, because a strong foundation withstands more turbulence.
Sometimes, when our circumstances change, we should take our eyes away from the immediate picture that doesn’t look too bright and focus on the strength within as well as the bigger picture ahead of us. Like is said back home “that food that is hot right now, will eventually cool down, for no condition is permanent.”
It’s amazing how a small, jutting proud piece of grass made me philosophical, but what is the alternative to standing one’s ground?
Giving up?
That’s not an option!
Have a great week.
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
Support me – Buy my book and leave a review. Thank you.
The gift of life itself is a miracle, and I see this phenomenon every day. Jacqueline
If you’ve not seen a miracle, then take a second long look in your mirror, for you are staring at one. The expectation that miracles must happen in a spectacular manner creates a vacuum in appreciating the miracle of each day that we receive. Each day that the Sun rises and we open our eyes to the splendour of the Earth is an absolute miracle.
Thoughts of miracles remind me of a what my mother always said, that “May Thy Kingdom come is not only when the Lord Almighty steps his feet down from heaven for us to see, for the kingdom lies in the soul,” and she would say this to punctuate a blessing received.
This equally applies to miracles. For the fact that something is quantifiable, explainable and understandable doesn’t make it less a miracle. Each day that dawns without effort from you and I is a miracle. The majestic beauty of the Earth is a miracle. Conception is a miracle. Watching my young ones grow each day is a miracle. Hearing that bird sing and watching it fly is a miracle, watching the flowers bloom and many uncountable examples out there are natures splendour and nature is a miracle.
Let our eyes not become too jaded
Nor our minds too cynical
that we fail to see
and fail to comprehend
that the beauty of life
lies in our perception
and appreciation
of all the miracles
that nature has placed in our path.
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
We received the prompting word Miracle for this weeks’ Writers Quote Wednesday Writing Challenge. WQWWC is a challenge that I enjoy participating in and you might find it interesting as well.
Each awakening moment of our lives offers us two main choices.
A choice on how to treat and relate to others and a choice on how to treat ourselves.
Think about it for a moment and you will realise that everything we do is centred on these two main player’s; ourselves and others.
I’ve found that a bid to make a positive impact on other people’s lives never leaves the giver empty handed. In caring for others, we inadvertently care for ourselves.
The rewards are life changing and sometimes beyond your expectations.
May the lamp that you carry not only cast light on your path. Let its flickers offer some brightness to those you encounter on your way.
Shalom!
Jacqueline
Below is my first just published Poetry Book “Out of the silent breath” which is available on Amazon and Smashwords.
When you buy my book, you support me in an invaluable manner.
“Beautiful Poetry of Life and Love.” Amanda
Every Tuesday, I share snippets of thoughts that I call ‘My Thinking Corner.’
I would like to invite you to participate. The challenge is quite simple. You can check this link for more details.
I realised that sharing so many snippets at once might actually not add as much value because the centre of focus oscillates between so many things, so I’m narrowing it down and dwelling on a snippet at a time to create better value.
Burden:
♦ Until we can truly lay down our burdens, our load will not be light.
♦ A load carried on the head, should not be carried in the heart.
When we learn to trust the Lord with our excess baggage, we are truly lightened of its nagging weight. It’s a process that might take the time to understand, but it’s a process worth applying to ones’ life.
Beautiful thoughts come your way from two awesome and inspiring blogger friends of mine:
Open your eyes and look: Dehan’s message is surely one to start the day with.
Follow the leader: Rosema knows how to deliver sweet and succinct messages. I like this.
I hope that you find these little drops useful now and again. Do check them out and please share snippets of your thoughts with us.
Thanks and blessed be.
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
Below is my first just published Poetry Book “Out of the silent breath” which is available on Amazon and Smashwords.
When you buy my book, you support me in an invaluable manner.
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‘PLEASE KEEP SENDING IN THE LINKS.’
Today’s featured blogs are:
Sophia You have to read Tanya’s posts on Post Prodigal Son to appreciate when I say that she’s a wonderful, talented writer. Her flow is so natural, so sublime. I will leave you to take the time and be the judge 🙂
Laugh till it hurts: Living with MS (multiple sclerosis) is a tough call but with a positive attitude to get through each day with humour is a blessing in itself. I laughed even though I knew that the issues she addresses are tough. Here’s my comment below:
You tell this in such a lighthearted manner that one can’t help but laugh. However, I know it must also be a struggle and strain sometimes and it’s a good thing that you’ve got a positive disposition and your grandma is a wise woman. Laughter is good medicine.
A quick drive-thru to say hello can gain you a friend.
‘Do you want more eyes on your words?’
Well then, add your LINK INTO THIS LOOP.
P.S. Comments are disabled here to keep the loop tidy. Any comments or link you want to send can be added through the link in the post.
Thank you for your understanding and regards.
‘We create a cohesive community when we come together.’
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
Below is my first just published Poetry Book “Out of the silent breath” which is available on Amazon and Smashwords.
When you buy my book, you support me in an invaluable manner.
Brand me whole as only you can
That the entire score of me
Knows nothing but the fullness of you.
Haggling is an art! To live in an African society with it’s rowdy markets, you need to perfect the art of haggling over goods.
Recollections of days spent traipsing after mother or grandma at the market, trudging from pillar to post haggling over goods in order to get the best bargains makes me smile.
It was never a straight journey!
Purchases were made in-between hundreds of greeting exchanges.
These grown women would hug, chatter, ask about the entire family and their well-being, exclaim over the incessant climb in the price of goods, natter about the latest African prints fabric, discuss their next meetings and what have you, while you stood patiently with the basket waiting for that conversation to be over, only for another encounter of another auntie to occur down the line where yam tubers were sold.
The haggling dance between the seller and the buyer was one done in camaraderie.
A piece of yam tuber would be lifted, passed from the buyers one hand to the other to check how weighty, inspected to ensure that it was still fresh and when mother was satisfied with the selected yam piece, the pricing war begins with “how much?”
This could go on from one market stall to the other and the basket on your head got heavier with the items purchased.
On a good day, your assistance would be rewarded with some boiled groundnuts, fried puff-puffs or something little to nibble at.
Please do remember not to grumble when the haggling is going on otherwise, you might be rewarded with a proverb that says “a child carried on the back, does not realize that the journey is very far.”
For today’s quote, I shall leave you with these African proverbs:
“Life is like shopping in the market, when you finish your purchases, you go home.”
”One does not throw stones in the market square, because you don’t know whose head it might break.”
”Marriage is like eating groundnuts in pods! You have to crack it to see what is inside.”
I have totally enjoyed reminiscing over these proverbs for the past couple of days Oba all thanks to you.
I invite these awesome bloggers to feel free and share some quotes:
Blessed love.
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
a cooking pot and twisted tales 