Turning 50 with grace and a heart full of gratitude


Hello Everyone,
Happy new year all and welcome once again to the Lion's den. I wish everyone a wonderful 2018 with each day bringing forth new opportunties for growth . It has been a while since I last wrote as I have struggled to write on a consistent basis. It comes easier for me to stand up and speak than to write down my thoughts. It's a struggle I have to contend with and I know I will overcome it someday, so bear with me.

I turned 50 in December and I have been asked a couple of times, what has been going through my mind? What's the next big thing? Are there fears, worries?  I guess I disappointed a few people who were expecting a big party or celebration to mark the event.I did invite a few friends, work and football buddies from the past to have some drinks and and catch up, felt more like a reunion. As the day approached, I felt more of gratitude than anything else for the grace that has covered me wherever I have gone.All through the month of December, all i felt was Gratitude and Grace and very apt, this was the theme in my church.
I spent some time looking back at my childhood and how much I have grown and still growing. I got a gift of a  picture a few weeks before my birthday from a childhood friend I grew up with in 44 Barracks Kaduna, and there is a lot to be thankful for.

I am thankful for the Grace of God which has manifested at four different life changing moments in my life. These moments of choice were choice of secondary school, University, subsidiary of Leventis to work in, and spouse. Looking back, it feels as if, there was an arrangement by God that turned  what seemed like initial dissapointments to be blessings or fantastic platforms for my growth.I am also thankful for the personal gifts God has endowed me with and the opportunity to develop them further.

 

I am thankful for a father who thought me self confidence ,courage , discipline,importance of Character and dignity to fend for yourself and not depend on others. he also backed it up with a focus on reading , a functional education and helping me build  a sense of responsibility.
I am thankful for a mother who was an unsung Mother Theresa with a heart of Gold. She encouraged me to join the Choir, Boy brigade and provided a spiritual foundation for my life.  She showed through her life what it meant to live for others. I aspire to her level of selflessness and doubt if I can ever attain such. Between My father and mother, they gave me a foundation of core values that are at the core of who I am today.

I am also thankful to my wife Ruth and my family who have given me unwavering support. A wife whose support has given me the freedom to explore all possible opportunities for my growth and development. Children who I look at and know they will be better persons than I ever was. Thankful for the spirit of brotherhood with my brothers and sisters as well as my inlaws. My family became bigger and has not always been a story of roses but thankful for the goodtimes far outnumber the bad.
 







I am thankful for work colleagues and friends who have taught me or given me an opportunity to become better by sharing what I know. Friends, some who have been silent and solid rocks of support, and others who have been solid pillars of encouragement and inspiration. Friends who have helped me understand the real meaning of humility and who help me stay in touch with humanity. There are some friends who are more than family and have been there , not a function of how long , but how well. The guilty ones know themselves.I celebrate you all.

So what next after all these? I realised after the day passed that though I was 50, my heart was still young and I will have to learn to live with the conflict of a heart that is 30 in a 50 year old body. I also realised that there are many problems that need to be resolved in our society for life to be better for most. One thing I know for sure is that I will spend the rest of my time helping people find out what lies inside of them they can translate to value and live better lives. I also promise I will keep trying to have fun as I do these things. 50 as they say is the new 30!!!! I thing I know for sure, I will not be a grumpy old man.

Thank you all for the roles you have all played in my life and looking forward to a better year in 2018.
Kind regards,
Alex Goma aka Teranga Lion


Comments

  1. UnknownJanuary 5, 2018 at 10:58 AM

    May His Grace continue to be in abundance in all yours.

    ReplyDelete

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