To the light I will call my children

I don’t know when you will ever read this or what the world will look like by then but I can only hope that it would still be an inhabitable place for you. This is my first love letter to you. I had to write it on this particular day as I feel extremely happy. It’s the 17th of April 2021 and it so happens to be your uncle “Nyashadzashe’s” birthday.

First things first, I just want to let you know that I became a mom even before I was born. I know it may sound crazy to you but I am from the Shona Culture where my paternal aunt’s children are automatically my children too. By the time I came into existence in 1996 I was already a mum of six; IMAGINE THE RESPONSIBILITY hahaha. I have also had the privilege of exercising some mummy duties on your dear big mum’s children. Those three little humans together with uncle Nyasha’s daughter have taught me the meaning of love. Love is pure, patient, tenderhearted, soft, natural, unasked for and sweet. They talk to me like a friend and I can safely say they are a great source of happiness in my life right now. I hope and pray that by the time you come into this world,this spirit of “ubuntu” will still be in existence.

I can honestly say that you will be in safe hands. I have been preparing myself to be the best mom ever through a lot of teachings. I have read a lot of books on parenting and these include, “The Power of a praying woman”, “The power of a praying parent”, “The five love languages for children” and “Raising kids with character.” I have attended many seminars and I have also equipped myself with the word of God from which I will draw wisdom to raise you in a Godly and Biblical way. In your mum’s house, we read the Bible, we go to church so many times and you will be privileged to have mum as your Sunday school teacher too. Your grandmother(my mum) and my aunts did a great job in raising me and so be rest assured, I will do the same.

I pray God gives me the grace to meet you soon, to love you and to take good care of you. I pray that you will grow to be intelligent little humans that will love God as well as school. I will teach you how to speak, I will teach you how to write, I will teach you how to love, I will teach you how to pray, I will teach you good manners and I will teach you the power of humanity. Your dad will teach you the power of independence and business because my heart tells me he will be an expert in that. If he turns out not to be then ehhhh it will be God’s will my beloved children haha.

Mama will be your biggest friend, your greatest source of strength and motivation and a shield that will protect you from the brutality of this earth. I promise to let you be independent and make certain life choices on your own from a tender age.

Before you arrive, let me hustle, let me continue to learn, let me start to build on a legacy you will take on and let me bring to you the best daddy. I have a lot of things on my heart that pertain to you and your well being and I will certainly write everything down before you come. Imagine how great a mum I will be, you are even receiving letters before you come to life. I keep on praying for you even as I continue to wait.

One last thing! Your names are already there haha. I have good Shona names for you that carry meaning, love and adoration. Your dad better comes up with the English and fancy names because I am not doing that.

It has been great writing this first letter, brace yourselves for more to come. I love you so much and I pray that you will grow in unity, love and empathy.

Your awesomely amazing and passionate mama

Emma Rutendo Makozho……

Dear “future” husband

Its the wee hours of the 15th of April 2021 and I find myself writing about you. I have such a vivid image of you and I hope this is just not a dream haha. I don’t know if we have crossed paths yet but all I know is that God is surely preserving you because I pray for you every single day. All I know is you work behind a computer. I have always had a thing for guys who are into computers, IT, management or any other related field so I know you won’t fall far from that category.

I find myself smiling when I think about you. When I think about my future with you, my stomach fills with all the good types of butterflies. Oh what a lover you are! Let me describe you a bit. You are a Jesus lover and a family man. Wisdom embodies you thus I fear not for the future of our family and our kids as we will have the best head of the family. Humility is your biggest attribute my love and you will compliment me in every way. You are an alpha male; a man of stature, authority and respect. With the eyes of a tiger and the leadership strength of a lion, you know exactly what you want and you will stop at nothing to meet your goals. Clothed in dignity and in strength, you execute your plans well and your life has order! I just don’t know if you are African, white or mixed race. My best friend thinks life will be better for me if you are white though.

My parents await your arrival into the family, my mum especially. She finds herself talking to me about you yet she doesn’t know you. You will probably have the best in-laws, they will call you an “in-love.” They will most definitely treat you like their son. Is there anything better than marrying into a happy family that will embrace you so much. I hope you will have a great sense of humour! We laugh a lot in my family.

There are a couple of things you need to be ready for. I am a loud introvert. Yes, I said it! A super loud introvert. Even though I am initially an introvert, once you crack my shell, I’m outgoing and silly – meaning you need to be able to keep up with my silliness and love for things out of the ordinary. I am very outgoing, resilient and hardworking. I am such a jovial person, my smile will warm your heart. I am a lover of babies and I know surely you want to have many of those. Just so you know, I am an alpha female that wants to leave a legacy on this earth. I won’t ask you to build the legacy for me but I will need you to just hold my hand and assure me that everything is going to be alright.

So I will continue to pray for you and wonder if you are out there doing the same for me. I look forward to spending our futures together and sharing special stories of our past. I can’t wait to know who you are, but until then just know there is always someone out there thinking about you. You are already so special to me. You my darling will be spoiled, you will be encouraged, you will be supported and you will be loved.

Ps: I can’t even wait to exercise my cooking skills in our matrimonial home.

Lots of Love

Rue-The future wife….

”

Losing someone you love is hard enough, but also having to watch them struggle through an illness like cancer compounds all those emotions. On the 3^rd of June 2016, I lost my dear mbuya. I felt a lot of pain the day I saw her lying helpless and still in a mortuary. Reality struck that I was not going to ever meet her again. The light that normally exuded from her face had been diminished and there was nothing left for her to give.Emma is my name and I carry it with so much pride. It is of German origin meaning “whole, complete, universal and industrious!”Mbuya gave me her name and she was nothing short of all that meaning.The late Emma Vongai Makozho was such a virtuous woman. She was so full of knowledge, she was a definition of wisdom and she was so full of love and kindness. She was a no nonsense woman that worked so hard with her hands, let alone her mind. Over the past four years, I have learned that time doesn’t heal us of our loss but somehow we learn to adjust our lives to live without our loved ones.
Lessons from my dear mbuya:

•  “Kusadzidza kufa” The lack of knowledge is death

 This was one of mbuya’s favourite sayings (lol), it gets me laughing even up to now. She understood and valued the power of getting an education and sound knowledge.  She was against ignorance and illiteracy. She instilled a zeal for education in all her children and grandchildren which we have a mandate to carry on to generations to come. The Bible says in Hosea 4 vs 6 “My people perish because of lack of knowledge.” Mbuya got that concept well!!!

• To carry my name with dignity

I don’t mean to pat myself on the back but I have grown to understand that I was born to be different and am a peculiar gift in this generation!  This all lies behind my name “Emma” meaning complete or whole. I will not die unfulfilled and I will not leave a legacy not to be remembered.

• To be generous

I have actually learned this from my mum and aunt who I believe got it from mbuya. At mbuya’s funeral, speaker after speaker spoke about her kindness and how she had helped different people in their lives. Generosity isn’t about money but about giving of ourselves unselfishly. People remember our generosity and likely continue the cycle of giving.

•  Speak your mind even if it’s not popular or polite

I grew up during the time when mbuya was in her 70’s and I heard my mbuya speak her mind. It’s not like she intended to be rude or hurtful but she just said what she was thinking. Mbuya’s filter was gone, but she often seasoned her speech with salt. This is a trait we often admire in children, but stifle as time passes. We are taught very early not to say things that will hurt people’s feelings and in the process we end up silencing our voice. WHY CAN’T WE JUST BE HONEST?

• Take nothing for granted

The death of mbuya taught me to cherish all the loved ones I have around me. Life is too short to spend it worried, grumpy and unhappy. It taught me to live for the moment and go for originality. I sometimes wish I had spent more time with her, I wish I had visited her more often and done a lot for her. But I am grateful for all the love and memories. Am grateful for a name that carries meaning and I am beyond grateful for the big family she left behind.Everyone should be able to live a life worth remembering…..
REST IN PEACE MBUYA! TILL WE MEET AGAIN!

Dear women of power

In the month of January and February, I didn’t blog about anything. So many things crossed my mind and I have been battling a few issues on my own. I really appreciate everyone who keeps me company and the Holy Spirit who continues to minister to my soul through different people, different sermons and a whole lot of books and zoom sessions. Just last month, I got a book recommendation from a friend and I haven’t been able to let go of it. March is considered to be Women’s month so I just thought it wise for me to share with you a few nuggets from this life transforming book. The book is entitled Spiritual Dangers by Bishop Dag Heward Mills and he shares about what he termed the “Strange woman.” I have not only read this book once but I have been reading it for the third time now (That’s just how much I love it).

The author describesstrangepeople as those whose behaviour sows the seed of fornication, adultery and homosexuality in others. He goes on to share four types of strange women which he termed the calculating strange woman, the unintentional strange woman, the professional strange woman and the spiritual strange woman. I share a bit about each type of woman below.

1. The calculating strange woman.

This type of strange woman is the one who knows exactly what she is doing. She is conscious of who she is and what she is doing. Her aim is to entice men, and to lead people into sexual affairs. She may look innocent and harmless but she is calculating and moving closer, step by step.

• The unintentional strange woman.

This strange woman is not aware that she behaves like a strange woman. She has many of the symptoms and signs of “strangeness”. Sometimes people grow up in a culture of lewdness and immorality. They inadvertently take on the characteristics of strange women. They dress in a half-naked way and do not think twice of it. Indeed, your culture can turn you into a strange woman without your knowing what you are doing.

• The professional strange woman.

The people in this group are known all over the world as prostitutes.. Prostitutes are usually seen on dark streets and corners trying to entice people. Apart from the women who call themselves prostitutes, there are many ladies who would sleep with a man in exchange for a dinner, a pair of shoes or a nice outing. There are people who get promoted in their jobs by sleeping with their bosses. In other words, they sleep their way to the top. Watch out for informal prostitutes. They abound in our modern world.

• The spiritual strange woman

Many churches are full of strange women. Women are naturally spiritual and they love to seek God for the security He provides. They speak in tongues, they read their Bibles but they also readily have sex with everyone. The church is full of precious lives. The Bible says she hunts for precious lives (Proverbs6:26). These precious lives are men and women who love God and who would serve Him with all their hearts. Satan is not just going to sit around and allow people to serve God. Through a strange woman, a precious life will become an irrelevant life as far as the ministry is concerned.

Having read and done a bit of analysis on each of the strange women listed above, I figured out that most are times that we become strange women unknowingly or rather unconsciously but our behaviours the fall under the “strange women categories.” I have figured out that our spheres of influence are the ones that describe what kind of people (women) we are.

We know the proverb, “Birds of the same feather flock together”, and “Show me your friend and I will show you your character.”  Another proverb says that you are a product of your five closest friends. These sayings are not in the Bible, but they have been proven to be true. It all bows down to the priorities we have set as different individuals in life and thus we choose our sphere of influences. I just really want to encourage us to not be found to be strange women and to choose our circles wisely. Bishop Dag Heward-Mills goes on to write about the signs of a strange woman and among these are; dressing in a particular way and by that he meant dressing in a revealing and suggestive way, “ Proverbs 7:10 …there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot…” We may term it as fashion but a woman of valour oughts to dress modestly.  A strange woman is a man hunter, a woman who strikes and always seeks to be noticed (attention seekers). He also noted that a strange woman is attracted to great men and I do hereby quote “As a pastor, if you cannot identify the strange women you can easily fall prey to them.” I therefore concluded that men of influence also need to be on the look-out for such women.

He gave examples of strange women in the Bible and these included Tamar, Delilah, Michal and the strange women of Babylon. He went on to give characteristics of the different women and how they contributed to the fall of great men. He concluded by advising men to understand the keys to their attraction in women as well as dangers of living a dual life.

I won’t do much justice to the book, it’s really power-packed and I encourage all of us to grab a copy and have deeper understanding of what he shares. My prayer for all of us is that we may all be Proverbs 31 type of women and seek the face of God more than anything in this world. That being said I also encourage you all to be empowered women, to follow your dreams, to live a life that will leave a legacy and to be examples to the generations that will come after us.

I am currently reading “The confident woman” by Joyce Meyer and I also recommend it. God bless you all, stay strong in the faith and never get tired of praying.

January is the first month of the year and it also happens to be my birthday month. It comes as a double blessing for me as I share the celebrations with my beloved mother. Mum’s birthday being on the 3rd and mine settling on the 21st.  I like to spend the month doing a lot of reflecting and jotting down goals for the year that would have started. Although I started 2020 on a high note with so many dreams and aspirations, it didn’t end on a good note as most of the goals were not fulfilled as most of it was spent under lockdown.

I remember wishing my best friend a happy festive season and she was shook by my wish as she abruptly said, “We are in a pandemic!!! There are no festive seasons in a pandemic!!!” As much as I want to agree with what she said I still find myself hopeful and so full of gratitude. God has proved Himself to be Jehovah-Jireh (God the provider). I can still say that though 2020 was what I termed a “terrible year”, I never lacked food on my table, had a roof over my head and spent a lot of time with family.

As I take time to reflect and though we are still in the middle of a deadly pandemic, I am beyond grateful that I spent the whole of 2020 with my family at home. I bonded more with my parents and we were generally happy as we celebrated life “so many surprise birthday dinners with home cooked food”. One of these days, I will blog about my father; a man of few words and one that has never ever channelled his anger towards me. I am really perplexed and always wondering how he manages his anger and tolerates a human being like myself.

 I am extremely grateful to God for the gift of my mother. It is of no coincidence that we were born in the same month. She has been there for me through the good and bad times. She has been a pillar of strength, my biggest fan, my motivator, my epitome of love and my beautiful friend. She is the mortal that understands me the most, prays for me the most and allows me to be who I am. She has been living a miracle life for twelve years and there is no day that passes by that I do not thank God. This year she turned 57 and I look forward to more of her grey hair.

In 2020, I started writing. I had always known that God deposited in me the gift to write and speak but I had neglected the gifts somehow. I dreamt ministering to a huge crowd and I was ministering “Jesus.” I won’t ever stop writing as I believe that one day the blogs will turn into books and that will be a legacy left forever. In 2021 I will be writing a lot of letters, addressed to different individuals and with strong messages that are inspired by the Holy Spirit.

In the year 2020, I lost a lot of friends, but also gained new friends. I may have lost out on a number of opportunities and may not have met 90% of my goals but I am grateful that  my mind was renewed, my heart was moulded, I faced some of my biggest fears and I still pray that God conforms my will to His.

Though January has been a tough month for many us, with my friends and colleagues losing their parents and loved ones, I thought to write and bring to you a message of hope. I have heard from people going through divorces, people who have lost their jobs, people who are grieving and those who are struggling with illness. One thing that almost all of them have in common is that they’re grasping for something to give them hope. Deuteronomy 31:6 reads “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” This is just the beginning of the year and I want you to hold on to Jeremiah 29:11 which reads, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

The year has just begun, consider the rest of it blessed. Reflect on the past, thank God for the gift of life, love and salvation. Hope for a better tomorrow and partake of the word of God on a daily basis. I love you all and may the Lord remember you at your point of need.

Dear all

It’s has been a while since I wrote something, but as I sat down through out the day, I felt an urge to write to you concerning a very sensitive subject. It is a topic that most of us try to avoid and the young don’t want to hear about. Allow me to write this open letter about self respect.

How amazing it is that in as much as love for the self is so abundant, there is a virtue that is virtually lacking in people and that is self respect. The Oxford dictionary defines self respect as a feeling of not being ashamed of oneself, in vernacular “kuzviremekedza” or “kuzvibata.”

The self comprises of body, soul and spirit and with that in mind, one can simply say that self respect is making sure that we do not harm our bodies, souls and spirits.

Respect for the body

Being an unapologetic Christian I will always share scriptures from the Bible. 1Corinthians 6 vs 19-20 reads, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” If we had respect for the body, do you believe that we would drag ourselves into unnecessary illnesses like lung cancer, madness, liver problems and even HIV/AIDS through smoking, taking drugs, drinking excessively and prostitution respectively. I can just wonder!

Respect for the spirit and soul

The still little voice which speaks inside of us. Our conscience others may call it. The voice which tells us it is wrong to steal. The very same voice which tells us not to lie. It’s the still little voice which tells us not to commit adultery. If we had respect for the still little voice, do you believe there would be crime in the world? Would we have so many broken homes and friendships? I still wonder. The Bible says in Mark 12 vs 31, ” Love your neighbour as you love yourself.” How can I say I love myself if I don’t respect the spirit and soul? How can I love my neighbour if I do not love myself? How then can I say I am a Christian if I do not love myself? All these questions will remain unanswered as long as respect for the self continues not to exist.

I hope I find you all well? And I really hope I have managed to reach out to a person or more. Let me conclude by saying, Respect yourself even as you respect others and more than you would want to be respected. And believe me it is only self respect that can bring sanity to the world in which we live in.

Yours truly

Emma Rutendo Makozho

“Ten ways to be a better girlfriend/boyfriend.”

“Three reasons you should take a break from dating.”

 “Five qualities you should look for in a spouse.”

 “Twelve things you’re doing to sabotage your relationships.”

DO THESE SENTENCES RING A BELL TO THE MODERN DAY ADULT?

Growing up should really be fun, but then again it comes with a lot of responsibilities. One of the biggest responsibilities is that of being able to choose a suitable life partner. This is a decision that can either help you to be a better person or one that will be the root of bitterness in one’s life.

Some days, being a single Christian can be exhausting. There is no shortage of advice coming from well-meaning authors, bloggers, pastors, teachers and “dating experts.” There is constantly a new blogpost, podcast, sermon series or book for us to pick up to learn the keys to “biblical” dating and start doing things the right way. There are so many principles to live by, values that you are not meant to compromise on, rules to adhere to and expectations we are required to meet. I wonder if any generation before ours ever had so much instruction on the topic of finding a spouse; and if any other generation has been so confused about it. I have tried to compile a list of some of the teachings we have received.You can add to the list:

• Do not marry someone who is not a Christian
• Do not be unequally yoked, strive to marry from your church as you may have different views and beliefs even when you are both Christian.
• You can never find a perfect partner
• God grants you what you pray for, don’t compromise
• Date for at least a year.
• Don’t date for any more than a year.
• Make sure you get plenty of time one on one.
• Your first kiss should be on the alter
• The intensity of the kiss is what matters the most
• Put clear boundaries into place.
• Don’t try to follow everyone else’s rules.
• Date someone who is at most ten years older than you
• Age is just a number, what matters in relationships is compatibility
• Spend lots of time together.
• Be careful how much time you spend together.
• Date a bunch of people before getting serious.
• Don’t date anyone until you’re ready to marry them.

These statements in their contradictory nature are probably one reason many singles express so much confusion and frustration about the dating process and their hopes for marriage. Another issue is the societal/family messages that encourage us young adults to live our lives more fully before we get married. We are told to pursue our dreams first, achieve important goals, and wait to find the person that is absolutely perfect for us. Even the church seems to be elevating service, professionalism, and ministry to the point that it inadvertently lessens the value of marriage and family. We are drowning in confusion trying to hold on to every little bit of advice that we have received over the years. Our friends who are not as religious as “us” are getting married and we wonder why God is forgetting us yet we are His children. The pressure mounts up and the confusion increases. We are left wondering on the advice we should listen to and which advice we should let go of.

What is the consequence to the young adult?

Others pursue lofty dreams. They want to complete their education and get their career well underway before they get married. Or they want to travel the world or achieve some lifelong ambition. Even if the goals are positive, they are disassociated from normal life, including marriage and family.

It’s all leading large percentages of young men and women to think, “I’m sure I’ll get married someday, just not right now.” But one day we wake up, and we are thirty or forty, and we are no closer to marriage than they were at twenty. What seems to get lost in all of this is that the dating years can be lived with a purpose that prepares young people for marriage.

Watch out for the next blog which will be focusing on comparing modern day dating, or grandparents “age” dating and the biblical dating. THIS MAY JUST BE THE ANSWER TO THE CONFUSION!

Whatever traits and feelings we have right now, are more or less influenced by the lessons we picked up along our journey. From the first time we can remember things, to childhood, adolescents and even a couple months or days ago when we had an episode that we felt somewhat life changing. I am a believer of this popular belief that “everything happens for a reason”. I believe that each and every one I met along the way is a survivor, someone that has gone through tons of struggles but somehow made it to look normal amidst the chaos they had. They are what they are right now, the survivors whom bound to chaos with the purpose of learning new things.

Emma Rutendo Makozho is my name and I carry it with so much pride and dignity. Emma is of “Greek” origin meaning universal or whole. Rutendo (Faith) was given as a form of gratitude to the Lord for His faithfulness. I would describe myself as an ‘alpha’ woman. I know what I want and am unafraid to advocate for myself to achieve it. I am speaker, a writer, an encourager, a leader, highly motivated and self confident. I am powerful, assertive and good looking. I love people and nature. I have a hunger and thirst for scientific knowledge; I was born to be a researcher! That’s my purpose.  The journey to this self introspection hasn’t been an easy one but it is one that I am proud of.  Upon asking my sister on how she would introduce me to the world, she wrote, “Outspoken, free spirited and friendly. She is God loving and focused. She looks quite strong and is determined to prove she is, but deep inside is a very emotional and fragile being.” My best friend of ten years says, “She is an open book. She offers no malice or hate, but kindness. With a childlike innocence, you can always trust her words because they are every bit as authentic as her actions. Uniquely herself and unafraid to be so, she is brave. A quality I admire so much. She has big things in store and I know she’ll accomplish every single one. Not one to fuss or fight but all too willing when the moment calls for it but one thing is for sure; she’s not one to lie to. Willing to spend hours cutting and dissecting any lie in search of truth. Mostly it’s because she’s just that damn stubborn. Oh, but her soul is so bright. Easily the loudest person in the room But she’s an expert at hiding her sadness. So you have to look a lot deeper to see it. Above all she is loyal to those who treat her well. I can only hope that she’ll be most loyal to herself.”

Growing up, I was always one to seek for relevance from people and I also tried to please everyone.  I had to endure bullying, being taken advantage of, being a weakling; having some form of identity crisis. I was scared of competition, I easily trusted, I got stressed by anything and everything and I could easily be broken. I can’t remember the number of wrong decisions I have made in life, the number of people I have hurt or the mental violence that I continue to fight on my own. I am not one to play a victim but I am one to learn from my past experiences.  My turning point in life was discovering that life is too short to live it for other people. Though I am still learning, I can bluntly say that I am now in a better place. I learned that life is full of imperfections I had to grow to have an independent mind and choose to live life my own way. I figured “I was enough.” I am ENOUGH!

“I am enough.

In all of my forms: daughter, sister, friend, writer, traveller, lover (both nature and humans).

I am good enough.  I am talented enough. I am confident.  I am kind.

I seek knowledge. I show compassion.

I fail.  I get back up.  I am perfectly imperfect.

I know who I am and what I stand for.  I know what I need to change.

I don’t know it all.  I can never know it all.  I admit when I don’t know.

I know how to forgive.  I forgive myself.

I am enough.”

Self love can be defined as having a high regard for your own well-being and happiness. It has both been conceptualized as a basic human necessity and as a moral flaw, akin to vanity and selfishness, synonymous with egotism. However, throughout the centuries self-love has adopted a more positive connotation through pride parades and self respect which I choose. As an unapologetic Christian, the golden rule in Mark 12 vs 31 reads, “Love your neighbour as you love yourself.” You are likely to have heard it many times, expressed in different ways, thinking it is about loving others. Look a little closer though, and you will find that at its very centre is the command to love yourself. The strength of all your other relationships is exactly equal to the strength of that foundation. To love one’s self is not just a self-esteem boosting piece of advice. It is the prerequisite to truly loving others!

Dear (Grandpa) Sekuru

It has been nine years since you left us. Life hasn’t gotten any easier; it has been really hard living without your personality around. A lot has happened since you left, both good and bad.  I can never forget about you. I have just finished going through the pictures of your funeral and am reminded of how much of a great men you were because of the multitudes that gathered to bid you farewell.

My heart is heavy, my eyes are teary and my mood is low. There are days that I feel you should have stayed longer. But then again you ran your race and you finished well. You left us with the button stick to allow us to carry on from where you left. When I first heard you were diagnosed with cancer I didn’t know what to do or how to feel. I thought it was not a major illness for you. My mind always told me you were going to totally heal but oh well God had other plans. Since you found out not once did you give up! You had to fight through it. You had your good and bad days but more good than bad. I remember having you around after your operation. You were so positive minded. You were so full of strength and instead of us encouraging you; you took time to sit us down and encourage us. We had to balance school and looking after you and not on any day did we feel overwhelmed. You were a resemblance of strength in my life and I learnt so much from you. Your death really brought sorrow as you were the first person I had close to me that I had lost. I may not have managed to attend your funeral but I know you were laid to rest well.

I have done  and achieved so much since August 2011, and I know you saw it all. You saw me graduate (there have been many of those in the family). I am sure that’s bringing you joy because almost every conversation I had with you was about education. I recently met a man that attended the school where you were a headmaster. He describes you as an exemplary man who fought hard to educate a backward rural community and deliver well ahead of expectation.  I do hereby quote, “I respected and admired that man; despite working in a rural environment, characteristically harsh, hot and dusty, he was a symbol of simple, well turned out elegance,cool,unruffled and always  presented the image of disciplined orderly authority.. He was inspiring yet very simple. Unlike the order and practice of the day where being a teacher`s child meant untold stature and privilege in the eyes of poor village children, our Headmaster`s children were the opposite of such; receiving  no special treatmentThey were humble and his wife was a delightful story teller who taught us so many songs and converted the otherwise dreary school days into joy filled pleasantness.” I have no doubt I have inherited some of those attributes. I hope to be described in such a manner after I leave earth. You left a legacy Sekuru, not only in our lives but in the lives of those you came across. Your tombstone reads “Affable man of many virtues!” I hope you saw that because it aptly describes you!

Mbuya left five years after your departure. I hope you are together looking out for all us. Reality struck me hard after she left. Kumusha is quiet and lonely without both of you. The fields that were ever green are not cultivated, the granaries that were always full are empty, the trees have dried up and the livestock that filled the homestead vanished. I wish I had spent more time with you both, partaking of the wisdom you possessed. I am glad I learnt a bit, do you remember the day you sat me down and drafted the family tree. I learnt something though from your death and that’s to cherish all the loving people I have around me.

Time flies, so goes the well-worn clichés, but indeed, the nine years have flown by so fast. .It definitely has! It felt like yesterday when you polished our shoes so we could go to school smart. I remember the days you visited us at home whilst I was in grade 4 and by the time you left, we had new school uniforms and shoes. You pushed daddy to be the best he could be and I think he would be functioning better with you around. But continue to watch over us, over the whole Makozho Mupamhigwa  clan. I just want to thank you for everything.

Continue to rest in eternal peace Sekuru. You are greatly missed and remembered

Your Muzukuru

Emma Rutendo Makozho