ANYONE who has been inspired, challenged, and sustained by the written
word will agree with me that the death of celebrated US author, poet,
actress, philanthropist and civil rights activist, Maya Angelou, 86, is a
sad development.
Maya Angelou was indeed an epitome of a phenomenal woman. She won three
Grammys, spoke six languages and was the second poet in history to
recite a poem at a presidential inauguration.
But what really stands out to me most about Maya Angelou is not
necessarily what she has done or written or spoken, it’s how she lived
her life.
By the time she reached 40 she had been a professional dancer,
prostitute, madam, lecturer, activist, singer and editor. She had worked
with Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, lived in Ghana and Egypt, toured
Europe with a dance troupe and settled in pretty much every region of
the United States.
We all can learn a lot from the life of this absolutely wonderful,
inspirational woman. She taught self strength, honesty, love, respect,
belief and moved through the world with unshakeable calm, confidence and
a fierce grace.
Maya was an iconic figure of faith, perseverance, fortitude, and peace.
Literary giant. Advocate of women and all equality. Maya is not just the
United State's jewel, she is the world's precious soul.
Maya Angelou once wrote, "I've learned that people will forget what you
said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how
you made them feel."
We'll certainly never forget how you made us feel, Maya.
Rest in peace Dr. Maya Angelou. We all know however, that great people
don't die. They live through their words from generation to generation.
Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone provided by Airtel Zambia.
Saturday 31 May 2014
Thursday 15 May 2014
The Amazing Story Of Stephen Sutton
THE name Stephen Sutton may not ring a bell to most fellow citizens.
Stephen was a British blogger and charity activist known for his blog "Stephen's Story" and his Teenage Cancer Trust charity for the aid of teenagers with cancer.
Stephen, from Burntwood in Staffordshire, England, was first diagnosed with bowel cancer aged 15, and was told in December 2012 that his condition was incurable.
Stephen passed away peacefully in his sleep in the early hours of Wednesday May 14, 2014 aged 19.
The most amazing thing about Stephen's story is how this young man courageously faced his illness.
Sutton, who initially set himself a target of trying to raise £10000 for the Teenage Cancer Trust, raised more than £3m for charity after his story was publicised.
Hundreds of thousands of people around the world have supported his fundraising efforts for the Teenage Cancer Trust since he posted a picture of himself in hospital in April with a goodbye message as he thought he was nearing death. Among them was Prime Minister David Cameron.
Stephen did not only manage to inspire a nation to donate to a good cause but also made millions of people around the world to appreciate and make the most of their lives, to be positive and brave in the face of adversity.
This young man also taught the world that life isn't about how long we are here but what we do with the time that we get. Whilst his life was far too short, he achieved some tremendous goals than most of us can achieve in a dozen lifetimes.
What an amazing person this young lad was. He was indeed a true inspiration and if more people had his wonderful attitude to life, then this world would be an infinitely better place.
Stephen has done so much to help with the fight against cancer and to bring to the attention of so many people, young and old that this disease has no respect for age, gender or creed.
His attitude towards his life and his illness has inspired not just me, but many, many people around the world to look at their lives in a different way.
The courage and grace shown by this young man in the face of a battle he knew he was never gonna win is inspiring and should both give hope to those in need and bring shame to those of us who are forever complaining about our lot in life.
To Stephen I say, thank you for making such an impact and for being you. You were, are and will continue to be an inspiration to millions.
You'll always be remembered as a brilliant human being and a complete and utter legend who made a difference.
May Stephen's gentle soul rest in peace and his family be comforted in the knowledge that he has truly made a difference to this world.
To you the reader I say, Stephens race is run but we must continue in the hope that just a little of his strength and generosity rubs off on us all so that we can learn to help others as he has done.
Perhaps then we might all leave behind a small addition to Stephen's wonderful legacy.
Rest in peace Stephen, your legacy will be carried on by those who have been inspired by your story.
Stephen was a British blogger and charity activist known for his blog "Stephen's Story" and his Teenage Cancer Trust charity for the aid of teenagers with cancer.
Stephen, from Burntwood in Staffordshire, England, was first diagnosed with bowel cancer aged 15, and was told in December 2012 that his condition was incurable.
Stephen passed away peacefully in his sleep in the early hours of Wednesday May 14, 2014 aged 19.
The most amazing thing about Stephen's story is how this young man courageously faced his illness.
Sutton, who initially set himself a target of trying to raise £10000 for the Teenage Cancer Trust, raised more than £3m for charity after his story was publicised.
Hundreds of thousands of people around the world have supported his fundraising efforts for the Teenage Cancer Trust since he posted a picture of himself in hospital in April with a goodbye message as he thought he was nearing death. Among them was Prime Minister David Cameron.
Stephen did not only manage to inspire a nation to donate to a good cause but also made millions of people around the world to appreciate and make the most of their lives, to be positive and brave in the face of adversity.
This young man also taught the world that life isn't about how long we are here but what we do with the time that we get. Whilst his life was far too short, he achieved some tremendous goals than most of us can achieve in a dozen lifetimes.
What an amazing person this young lad was. He was indeed a true inspiration and if more people had his wonderful attitude to life, then this world would be an infinitely better place.
Stephen has done so much to help with the fight against cancer and to bring to the attention of so many people, young and old that this disease has no respect for age, gender or creed.
His attitude towards his life and his illness has inspired not just me, but many, many people around the world to look at their lives in a different way.
The courage and grace shown by this young man in the face of a battle he knew he was never gonna win is inspiring and should both give hope to those in need and bring shame to those of us who are forever complaining about our lot in life.
To Stephen I say, thank you for making such an impact and for being you. You were, are and will continue to be an inspiration to millions.
You'll always be remembered as a brilliant human being and a complete and utter legend who made a difference.
May Stephen's gentle soul rest in peace and his family be comforted in the knowledge that he has truly made a difference to this world.
To you the reader I say, Stephens race is run but we must continue in the hope that just a little of his strength and generosity rubs off on us all so that we can learn to help others as he has done.
Perhaps then we might all leave behind a small addition to Stephen's wonderful legacy.
Rest in peace Stephen, your legacy will be carried on by those who have been inspired by your story.
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