Don’t Automatically Assume Everyone Is Rooting For You
Most times they are not
When I was a teenager, I used to spend all of my summers in Sierra Leone. My grandma who was bedridden often asked me to sit by her side — “To keep her company” as she would affectionately say. During those precious moments we spent together, she would teach me so many things. She’d also tell me about my ancestors, about her child, my Uncle Joseph who died of a mysterious illness.
Those moments with my grandmother were among some of the most exciting moments of my life. I had full access to her for days on end. She was at the end of her life and I was at the start of mine. She didn’t have to raise or discipline me so in that, we found the freedom to speak to each other like old friends do.
I was and still am concerned about what is going on in our world, and we talked about that too. She’d tell me about her days living under colonialism and British rule. She’d tell me about her travels in Southern Nigeria as a child, with her father who was a missionary. She loved her time there and was fascinated with Yoruba culture, so much so that she inculcated me with its traditions. Both my children have Yoruba names.
My grandma also gave me advice about how to live and appreciate life to the fullest. One thing she said was, “Don’t envy others for…
