Ngwanaka

This will be a short one as I invite you to listen to the song "Ngwanaka" by Master KG ft Maxy — https://open.spotify.com/track/0bwETsOobClcHtw7trzZHy?si=e2bb80fa87714107

Ngwanaka is a Northern Sotho word that means “My child.” I have no idea who the child that this song references is. I simply know how the song makes me feel. I know I feel hopeful. Usually, I am one to dwell on the possible mishaps of my future based on the errors of my past, but when this song plays, I feel a sense of relief. My relief comes from the trite realization that I could never control what the future holds, no matter how much I might want to. 

So, ngwanaka, I hope you remember this feeling as often as you can. I hope you spend more days appreciating the beauty that is this tragic life while trying your best to make sense of it. I hope you have the sense —on most days— to live in the moment; to bask in the uncertainty of purpose as the tides of time float you forward. I hope you do not have to live in a state of constant fear of what is to come even when the clouds appear dark. I hope you find peace —your peace, ngwanaka. 

More than anything else, ngwanaka, I hope you never lose that inner child in you. I hope you always cherish the beauty of naïveté that it offers. I hope when you go to bed sad, it comforts you with the quiet lullabies of hope and endless possibilities just like your childhood dreams once did. I hope that inner child stays with you even when the adult strays. I hope it guides you through the toughest days and strengthens you with silly laughter on days when it feels as though no joy abounds. 

Cheers, ngwanaka.