Patience is a virtue

It has been one of those days. One of highs and lows but I am thankful to God for all that came through the door. I wonder how I think I am going to learn how to be patient without being tested. Not possible, is it? And I am now much more aware of how distractions and obstacles pop up when I resolve to do something. I have to learn to walk through those too.

The focus for me now is to get myself organized so that I do not feel like I am running from one fire to another. I do not want to forget that the boys are the main priority for now and that I am also a wife and a homemaker.

I am a mother and that is a blessing I cherish .Sometimes I feel like I am not doing enough and I do not always let myself off the hook and justify myself because I do tend to wander off and become a bit absent-minded. Other things can wait but the passage of a child's life can't.

Today I have had to remind myself of that and shelf other desires. I wish I had started my assignment earlier on though; I would have been in bed by now.

Thank God in all circumstances and thank Him for His mercy upon us each and every day.
Good night.

Murky Waters

I attend a writing class on Monday evenings and I normally come back fizzing and very excited but today I am a little sad. Two of my colleagues made comments about our teacher that were not very nice and one of them went on to kind of dismiss her as a writer of very little consequence compared to another teacher they had. I know that comparison is inevitable in any sphere of life but it is so unfair.

Writing tends to be a very subjective art and craft and what appeals to one person could be repulsive to another; for that reason I try to respect every writer because I do know what it is like to have a piece criticized and now one of my mantras is that I do not write for the critics; the cruel, destructive ones, that is. There will always be critics and those who find fault with everything but that should not stop me or anyone from putting work out there. As a writer, I am learning to develop a thick skin and be faithful to what music I hear in me. There will be one or two people whose hearts resonate to the same beat and it is for them I put out my product. If there should be more than that number, I am grateful to God for that.

I find my teacher to be encouraging and very good with feedback and someone who will give her opinion without forcing it down your throat. I have written two short stories since I started, this month alone, and for someone who has not done fiction in years, I would say that I have found a teacher who motivates me.

So I shall not remain sad and I shall do my best to encourage my classmates but of course I shall be careful not to share certain things with these two. As Maya Angelou says, if someone shows you who they are, you better believe it.
To thine own self be true.

I hope to write about what I had originally planned for tonight. Beware all ye tradesmen; murky waters lie ahead but they can be traversed.

God bless you.

The beautiful game

Some call football the beautiful game. They are wrong, I say. The beautiful game to me is tennis. I love to watch it and one day I hope to play it. And watching a gifted player at the game is like seeing poetry in motion. One such gifted player is Roger Federer and when he is in the groove, he is fascinating in his languid way of play. Sometimes he is tested and he has to draw on the reserves that great people in all areas seem to have. Today he won the Australian Open again after a very tough test and I salute him for clawing his way back. I would love to be like that where I do things because they need to be done and not just when I feel like doing them.

What about the Williams sisters? I do not have a younger sister but if you were to ask my husband he would probably say Venus is my younger sister. I get quite emotional when I watch her play and I look at those loooooonnnnng legs in awe. When she was at her peak, she was something else to watch but lately, apart from her Houdini acts at Wimbledon gone by, she seems to have lost her sparkle and yes, I do know that both she and Serena have had their fair share of injuries and yes, they have done very well in the world of tennis considering their background and their colour, but they have not quite lived up to the heights some of us were anticipating that they would with the assets that they possess.

I think that they probably have lost their zeal a little. They still think they are the best in the game but their results show otherwise and I think that I now must agree with the pundits that they have lost their passion for tennis , which is a great shame. If they gave it their all as some other players have done, who knows what heights they would attain? I keep dreaming of a Williams comeback that will make all the other players pale in comparison, but somehow I really do not think that will materialize, looking at how much they are doing outside the tennis world, and that makes me sad.

That is life.I shall take a cue out of their books to make the most of what I have but also remember to focus and sift through what I really want to do with my life. I salute Martina Hingis for coming back after a hiatus of several years. To her I say Respect.

Tennis, the beautiful game that teaches me about life.

A Little Maudlin

I have had a good day today and I can't complain. I went to school; I teach in a little Saturday school and I enjoy it very much because it is a mixed ability class and the teaching is quite individual for that reason. I like to think of it as a personal service to each child and I was pleased with what I did today after a disappointing Saturday the previous week.

Then I managed to talk to a friend who has gone back to Ghana after a long time away and she sounded so peaceful; that made me so grateful especially since I also do want to go back so much. Ghana is a beautiful country and is especially so, because of the people. We are such a sedate, peaceful people and sometimes people take advantage of our good nature but in a very strange way we are quite resilient and thrive anywhere in the world. Just ask Kofi Annan. I am so proud to be from Ghana even though I was born in England and currently live here; sojourning I call it. I do like things about Britain but Ghana sets me alight in an indescribable way with all its shortcomings and absurdities.

I have not done any writing today because it has been a busy one again and some of my plans have fallen flat. And at the moment there are some old hits of Stevie Wonder in the background which are making me strangely sentimental and I have a book of Maya Angelou's poems on my table, which I am looking forward to sampling very much. She is one of the people I admire very much because she feels so comfortable with herself.

Now for a poem:

Sometimes only a gift will show
The love I have for you,
Sometimes only a gesture can express
What my heart feels for you,
Sometimes only an act can tell
How much you mean to me,
And that is why I send this to you
Because I have no more words to
Say what I yearn to tell.

( Inspired by MJ)

God bless and good night.

Thank You, Lord

Today has been an interesting day. I went to the dentist and she asked me whether I grind my teeth. I don't think so but then it got me thinking. Maybe I need to relax some more, especially at home with the boys. I have four of them and sometimes I get so exasperated with them because they can be such babies and it is not funny at all when a nine year old has to be told the same things every day. So I do have to watch that. I certainly am aware of the fact that I rarely smile at home and that is not good enough.
Writing; that has been good today. I sent out my usual Friday column after three previous essays that I felt were not quite right but the fourth one was the right one and I was very happy about that. I have grown past reader response in a way but still appreciate it when people do write back to say what they liked about it.
I am also very happy about this blog because I can see how it is going to help me do some writing every day, even if it is a few lines daily.
Thank You, Lord for the opportunity to do this.
Have to go now. It has been a long day with errand after errand.
Till tomorrow, adieu.

Did I do something wrong?

I just posted something and can't find it. I don't know whether I have pressed the wrong button. Will look at it again tomorrow. Maybe my fingers do need a break.
Have to hit the sack now.
Good night.

That D word again

I have not been able to do any writing today and it seems to have been one thing after the other, all very necessary so I am thinking of cutting down on my sleep and also abandoning my normal ways of only writing in the morning, if I want to make any progress. There seems to be so little time available and I know that this is the challenge of modern society so I am not the only one with this lack.
Another thing that is hindering me is the lack of exercise and I have to get back to walking as soon as it gets lighter in the mornings. In the meantime what can I do? Discipline. I need to focus on what I really want from this writing and I know it is not about money, but I do want to be prolific in different forms of writing and it can only be done by writing and writing some more. It sometimes seems like an endless cycle of the same things but at least I am learning and I am willing to put certain things into practice; for example sitting here after 10p.m. to do this is a significant breakthrough for me and even airing my thoughts in this way is also a progressive move. Hopefully my entries will get more interesting as I gather momentum.
I just looked at a poem I wrote some time back and I guess I do have an element of romance in me after all. One day I shall be brave enough to share it.
For today, I thank God for having friends and for being able to take another step towards becoming a prolific writer.
Hope to have a good rest tonight and wake up with clearer plans and visions.
Thank you,Lord, Amen.
Good night and God bless.

Introduction

My full name is Nana Yaa Akyiama Kyei-Baffour Larbi but I answer to Nana because it is simple to those who are not used to Ghanaian names. I am a homemaker at the moment and enjoy writing and teaching very much. I have been writing for a few years now and I have not been published on a large scale but I am working on that. I enjoy reading too and one of my favourite book characters is Kinsey Millhone because she is quirky and flawed and lovable at the same time. I am a Christian too and I am always awed by how much God loves us and what He is constantly teaching us through His Word.
I am hoping that having this blog will help my writing and also help me meet other writers.
So I welcome myself to the world of bloggers.
Welcome, Nana.