As a mom i’m often talking about kindness and tolerance. Hamish and I discuss the importance of being a good person, helping others….even when they can’t help you and sharing what we have. Of doing something good because you can.
As the saying goes if you have more don’t build higher walls build a higher table.
My grandmother taught us that if you can leave someone a little happier than you found them, you’ve achieved all you need to.
I think of that often when I think about the concept of Ubuntu.
ubuntu
/uːˈbʊntuː,ʊˈbʊntuː/nounSOUTH AFRICAN-a quality that includes the essential human virtues; compassion and humanity.
So as I try teach this concept to Hamish I’m constantly looking for stories to illustrate my point of view.
Last night this came across my Facebook feed and I just wanted to leave it here on my blog because not only is it a wonderful reminder but also a beautiful story.
Ubuntu
( copied from Facebook – Credit unknown)
The motivation behind the Ubuntu culture in Africa …
An Anthropologist proposed a game to the African tribal children
He placed a basket of sweets near a tree
And made the children stand 100 metres away.
Then announced that whoever reaches first would get all the sweets in the basket.
When he said ‘ready steady go!’ …
Do you know what these children did?
They all held each other’s hands, ran together towards the tree, divided the sweets equally among themselves, ate the sweets and enjoyed it.
When the Anthropologist asked them why they did so,
They answered ‘Ubuntu’.
Which meant –
_’How can one be happy when the others are sad?’_
Ubuntu in their language means –
_’I am because we are!’_
A strong message for all generations.
Let all of us always have this attitude and spread happiness wherever we go.
