Ithemba lam’

Due to technological mishaps this blog was meant to be posted yesterday but alas sometimes technology she cannot be my friend.

There is a Zulu hymn which starts of by saying “Ithemba lam’…Ithemba lam” which loosely translated means “My Hope.” It goes on to say I will rise and fall with this hope until I reach the gates of heaven.

So where am I going with all this…well that this morning I read a quote which said “Life ends when u stop dreaming, hope ends when u stop believing…” and then later on in the morning an amazingly talented friend sent me something (which is on the hush right now) which has a picture of her and the tattoo she has on her back which has this exact phrase “Ithemba lam”. Earlier I had read something else where it sounded like someone was crying as they feel as though they have lost the dreams of their childhood, they have lost all hope in what life should be bringing forward to them they felt hopeless at not having reached the goals they had set out for themselves as a child.

My questions after linking three relatively different things this morning are –
Where has Hope gone?
Is she hiding behind the door?
Is she hiding under the bed?
Has she taken a break coz she is so tired of trying to make people believe in the future, in anticipating the good that will come out if only they hold on just a little more longer?

It brings me to ask myself where my hope is, where has she gone, where did she even come from in the beginning? Are we inherently born with hope in the same way we are born with mortal sin?

Is Hope the daughter of Religion?

All these questions and no one to answer them. Perhaps I first befriended Hope as a young child in church, where I learnt that there was always something better coming even though it seemed hopeless at that particular moment. I guess most black children can identify with the religious side of life. I like many remember how every Saturday or Sunday you got into your best clothes and headed off to find salvation in one form or the other. To this day, I still hear the church choir singing hymns in my head. I am still moved when I hear particular songs. I still find a level of comfort in the voice of my grandmother as she sings her favourite hymn – Ingelosi engilonda. This hymn is about the angel that watches over you during the daytime & at night. The angel that guides you when you are blind and need help but mostly the same angel who when you are tired of this life and can no longer go on, will take you home to our mighty Father. I love my iGogo and perhaps tomorrow I will do my blog on women who inspire me. She is my ultimate being.

Where is Hope? What has happened to her? I constantly lose touch with my friend Hope but I know like a true friend she never gives up on me, she always comes back when I am at my lowest and gives me a helping hand. Sometimes I wish I were more loyal to her; I wish I kept in touch with her more. From today onwards, I am going to make an effort to stay in touch with my friend Hope. I miss her. From tomorrow, I will make an effort to make Hope a permanent part of my life.