Tag: Unity

Writers Quote Challenge

All New Writers Quote Challenge Prompt

jacquelineobyikocha12 Comments

‘Our love is like the misty rain that falls softly, but floods the river.’ African Proverb

In little drops,

your love penetrates

it wears down my inhibitions

it breaks down my suspicions.

♥

In steady flow,

your loving motions

grant me buoyancy

taking me to places I never knew.

♥

In rocking rhythm,

I learn how to love

floating beside you

we make a beautiful song.

♥

invitation-shel-silverstein

For this weeks‘ Writers Quote Challenge, I offer the African proverb above in keeping with the ‘Love’ season and I also have family on my mind.

The Writer’s Quote Challenge is a weekly blogging event. Either make up your own sayings or use a quote from a famous author that you find gives you inspiration. Each Thursday, a hostess will post the prompt and all you have to do is participate.

Our hostesses are:

Bernadette at http://www.HaddonMusings.com

Jacqueline at http://www.Acookingpotandtwistedtales.com

Joan at http://www.familyparentingandbeyoned.wordpress.com

Oneta at http://www.onetahayes.com

Please join us. You can check this link for more information.

I look forward to seeing you.

Jacqueline

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Writer's Quote Wednesday

The Resilience of The Broom – Writers Quote Wednesday Writing Challenge.

jacquelineobyikocha30 Comments

Image result for images of Nigerian broomsticks

The strength of the broom lies not in the power of a single frond but in the resilience of its united fronds. African proverb

Like most families my growing up years consisted of squabbling with my siblings over things that I can’t even recall anymore, but the saying above is one of those proverbs that I’ll never forget because my parents used proverbs like that one to teach us life’s lessons.

‘Igwe bu ike!‘ This is an Ibo word that means ‘there’s strength in numbers.’ My mother will tell us that while demonstrating with a broom.

She would give each of us a broomstick and instruct us to go ahead and break it. With barely much strength applied, the broomstick would snap. Then she would give us the entire broom to break and no matter how much you tried, that broom would never break. It might bend, but not break.

She used this example to emphasize to us that we had to stand together as one family because when we stand together as a unit that’s the only way we would withstand adversity and over the years of my life, we have individually and collectively gone through the storm as a family, but having each other to lean on has made passing through the eye of the storm easier.

Our unity didn’t mean that we lost our individuality, but there’s a code of oneness that understands and tolerates diversity.

This saying is not just for families, but to any group that man forms because we are social beings.

Unity brings strength
and creates harmony.

Unity promotes prosperity
and fosters love.

Unity covers the weakness of one
and infuses him with support.

When we are united
we can withstand.

When our unity is broken down
we will crumble.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Unity – #WQWWC

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Writer's Quote Wednesday

My Beliefs…Thursday Writing Challenge

jacquelineobyikocha10 Comments

 

Beliefs are like seeds sown over time. Some will fall on fertile ground and yield good fruits, some not at all and some will become thorns – Jacqueline

I believe in God.

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I believe in the ultimate power of love.

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I believe in the power of positive thinking.

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I believe in the strength of family and unity.

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I believe in the resilience of the human spirit.

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I believe in seeds sown for positive growth.

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I believe that caring and kindness elevates us.

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I believe that all men are born equal and each must be treated fairly.

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I believe that we are all chosen for a higher purpose and can all make a difference.

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I believe in the healing power of forgiveness.

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I believe in God.

Since the beginning of time, societal beliefs have been passed down from generation to generation. Some beliefs are true. Some beliefs are half-truths borne out of the perception of the believer. Some are outright lies that have been perpetuated over time that they become accepted as true for the benefit of the perpetrators.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Believe – WQWWC

P.S. You are cordially invited to our monthly blog party happening live on this blog Saturday 30th – Sunday 31st July 🙂

Below is my first 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.

Out of the silent breath

Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha’s poems portray images that stare us right in the face. Images of love, joy, death, pain, challenges, violation, and freedom. She writes in a language that’s rich in imagery, earthy, honest, vulnerable, yet full of the promise of hope, of loving and of Grace. A collection of light and dark soulful prose.

Creative Writing · Devotions · Family · Hope · Inspiration - Motivation · Life · Love · Quotes For You

A Single Palm Frond Cannot Weave A Basket…

jacquelineobyikocha23 Comments

Honestly, I enjoy quotes because these short words tell succinctly, lessons that an entire book may be unable to tell. Thank you Chape for inviting me for a round of 3 quote challenge.

Events of the past couple of days have made me dwell so much more on thoughts of unity and prayer, because as we know very well that, in unity we stand, but in division we fall.Nelson Mandela

I remember when we were much younger and would get into squabbles with each other, my mother was the constant peace broker and she would use simple demonstrations to teach us certain things. Let me share one of them with you.

We had several old woven baskets which were used for storing spices or herbs in the house and she would fetch two of these baskets which were special handiwork of Nsukka tribeswomen – it’s weaving was not so intricate yet effective.

She loosened a bit of the frond at one end and asked each of us to pull at a strand, and the basket unraveled.

‘‘Can one palm frond make a basket?” She inquired.

”NO, Ma!” We answered in unison.

Comparing the unraveled basket and the one that stood intact, she asked us which one was useful in its state and we pointed at the one which was still intact.

”You are one when you stand together and you would be of good use.” ”When you choose to unravel and stand alone, you serve no purpose to anyone and you are weakened because your frond can be bent and broken, while the fronds that are intact cannot be broken together.” She intoned.

Let us remember to band together in prayers, in wisdom, in strength and in positivity to be of good use.

On that note, I will leave you with these African proverbs:

”If you wish to go quickly you go alone, but if you wish to go far, you go together.”

”When trees stand together they make a forest.”

”When spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion.”

”Two ants do not fail to pull one grasshopper.”

I would like to invite these awesome bloggers to participate in the quote challenge:

Dr Meg Sorick

anghulinghugotero

Maria Holm

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha