Friday Thoughts: Ubuntu
Last weekend I was thinking about how grateful I was to be able to get some extra time at home working in my garden — definitely my happy place. I was also thinking a great deal about the rift in our Nation, especially as many gathered to celebrate our united independence. It is so important in this time of great divisiveness that we don’t lose focus on the beauty around us and all the good moments in our lives because that is ultimately what unites us: our humanity. We at Northern Human Services, regardless of our religious or political views, share a common mission — a gold thread of similarity between us. Ubuntu.
I hope those connected to Northern had an opportunity to relax and enjoy the sunshine this past weekend; that you were able to come together with family and friends, and find happiness in the small things. Our staff works hard and does much for many. I am also grateful for the people on our team who work through holidays and weekends, so that the needs of the people we serve are met — residential staff, emergency staff, those of you who are on call — thank you all for going the extra mile.
“An anthropologist studying the habits and customs of an African tribe found himself surrounded by children most days. So he decided to play a little game with them. He managed to get candy from the nearest town and put it all in a decorated basket at the foot of a tree.
Then he called the children and suggested they play the game. When the anthropologist said “now”, the children had to run to the tree and the first one to get there could have all the candy to him/herself.
So the children all lined up waiting for the signal. When the anthropologist said “now”, all of the children took each other by the hand and ran together towards the tree. They all arrived at the same time divided up the candy, sat down and began to happily munch away.
The anthropologist went over to them and asked why they had all run together when any one of them could have had the candy all to themselves.
The children responded: “Ubuntu. How could any one of us be happy if all the others were sad?”
Ubuntu is a philosophy of some African tribes that can be summed up as “I am what I am because of who we all are.”
In 2008, Bishop Desmond Tutu gave this explanation of “ubuntu” . . . “One of the sayings in our country is “Ubuntu”, the essence of being human. Ubuntu speaks particularly about the fact that you can’t exist as a human being in isolation. It speaks about our inter-connection. You can’t be human all by yourself, and when you have this quality – Ubuntu – you are known for your generosity. We think of ourselves far too frequently as just individuals, separated from one another, whereas you are connected and what you do affects the whole world. When you do well, it spreads out; it is for the whole of humanity.”