Ubuntu

My Father-in-law and my hubby.
Thought you should see these great men.

This week my husband and I had the amazing opportunity to see "Amos Lee" live in Boulder. While I was so excited to see Amos, I was very much inspired by the man who opened his show. His name is Vusi Mahlasela, an African folk artist.  His music reaches into your heart with his inspiring voice and his music makes you feel that you are part of something bigger. His presence amazed me and this is where I discovered Ubuntu. The minute he started singing my mind stopped thinking and I was in the moment with him. His lyrics were about peace and humanity; and, he sang to us about the great continent Africa with the great gift of Ubuntu. This originated in South Africa as a classical African concept. Ubuntu is an ethic and humanist philosophy focusing on people's allegiances and relations with each other. It also can be stated as "I am who I am because of who we all are". When I found out the meaning of this very powerful word I was inspired to find Ubuntu in our world.
After the show my husband and his dad went to eat at Denny's for a late night snack. During their deep conversation at the table my father-in-law noticed a man sitting behind them in a booth.  This man ordered coffee, sat down and then  fell asleep. My father-in-law is a man who some describe as  laid back.  He is the kind of man that you would want as a father because he is not afriad to show love.  If you ever meet my husband or his brother you can tell that his ability to be a great and loving man has certainly rubbed off on them.
 After they were done scarfing down their pancakes and coffee my humbled and loving father-in-law went to the cashier to pay for their meal and then gave the cashier money to pay for a dinner for the man.  This is a prime example of Ubuntu. My gracious father-in-law gave without having to be asked; he did it because he has compassion for those around him. The man did not beg or ask for money, he did not try to tell my father-in-law a lengthy story about his life, he just sat as his table as an individual trying to get some rest, warmth and comfort.
I think we all can start acting upon Ubuntu. Making the decision to help those without having to be asked is the pure essence of humanity and it's what we all need more of. You don't have to necessarily give out money. You can do something simple like opening a door for someone or just saying hi to someone you pass.  It's as simple as acknowledging your own human race. Wouldn't it be great if you were ever in a spot where you needed something and instead of asking, your fellow human beings gave it to you purely out of compassion. We are all a part of a larger whole. This world cannot exist without any of us. Let's go out and spread Ubuntu into our own communities and then we WILL start seeing positive change. "A single straw of a broom can be broken easily, but the straws together are not easily broken". Good luck my fellow straws- this week let's hear about the Ubuntu you see.