THE unstoppable spirit of goodwill, generosity and expectation of wonder and hope, is dwelling over the Namibian forests and deserts. And when Namibians are on the move to holiday destinations in all corners of the country, they commute in a Christmas tradition of sharing and peace to be upon themselves.
It is the reminder of generosity and compassion.
No community on the planet will escape the season of anticipation, but few are more deserving of the respect that Namibian generations of the ages are entitled to. It is still a Namibian mystery why those who demand so much respect show so little respect.
The greatest gifts that Namibians can give each other unfortunately cannot be packaged and fitted under a Christmas tree.
It comes from the heart and the spirit of sharing kindness. Humanity and respect are the greatest acts of goodwill that Namibians have in abundance, but in the rat race — usually stepping on those at the bottom to be on top– always share too little too late.
In the next few days — since immemorial time — Namibians are embarking or will still depart on the national exodus to the places they call home, because it is where their hearts meet and their souls are fed.
The rest of Namibia – not fortunate enough to embark on a journey to celebrate the festive season – those in nerve-centres like Windhoek, Swakopmund, Walvis Bay, Rehoboth, Keetmanshoop, Gobabis, Oshakati, Okahao, Katima Mulilo or Rundu, have street addresses where they live or work from, or where they study or where they start a journey of employment or pavement entrepreneurship, but their roots stay firmly rooted in the values of villages and settlements.
It is an irresistible force that pulls Namibians towards the loins they sprung from and the values they are moulded from.
The gift of Christmas is to take individual and collective stock of the values lost, the values reconnected and the values gained on the journey through the season of goodwill towards the year of new intentions and the challenge to be always better than before.
An open and outstretched hand is not always the hand of a beggar. There are many more hands that should offer instead of opening only when asked. There is nothing more undignified to ask and those that are asked will do well in remembering that a fellow Namibian who asks, runs the risk of humiliation or refusal and mostly lost all, even pride.
Yes, it is not possible to put something in every outstretched hand, but it is possible to shake hands and know to whom the hands belongs that pack the food into shopping bags while not having food themselves to share with anyone else.
The hands that signal parking places in towns and shopping centres and stop cars also belongs to a fellow Namibian who relies on other hands to afford a bread for a child and a wife somewhere who started a fire more in the hope than assurance that food will arrive.
The hands of the poor, elderly and disadvantaged are never on holiday and not clapping in celebration with families because there is no time to spare in earning an income to stay alive and the duty of being a provider that everyone is born to be.
The gift of generosity and goodwill is to shake the hands of fellow Namibians, because people should care about the dignity of fellowship.
Most importantly, the hand stretched out is also the hand that must be taken to reach out and lead fellow citizens on a road of hope that better days will come.
It is also the hand that kept Namibians free and democratic by voting and drawing a cross next to the name of their representatives and thereby giving a voice and authority to the best amongst the community to represent their dreams and inspirations in the highest offices in which they will never set foot, not even as cleaners, but are entitled to be served with the same respect as the kings.
What is often forgotten is that all Namibians get their dignity from fellow Namibians and it will be measured by the amount they share. That dignity, is not a gift, but a right of every member of the human family.
The gift of goodwill is in our hearts, but should be unlocked by conscience and the knowledge and appreciation of life itself should be opened so that the least of society are valued for their momentous contributions in keeping Namibian free and peaceful.
It is they who inspire goodwill and mutual respect that Namibia needs for the greatest conversations to make every next day a better day.
Yesterday’s heroes brought freedom and when they left the trenches they moved on to be the storm troopers of a long process of national reconciliation, peace and stability. The heroes of today and tomorrow must heal the deep scars and festering wounds, injustice inflicted on generations and conquer in the quest for collective dignity and respect in the Namibian family.
If it took a generation and the lives of only the best –who always dies young — to free Namibia. The inheritors of peace and freedom must dignify the nation.
It is a much harder battle — and because it will be hard — it is a challenge that Namibians should relish, because like always they shall overcome.
