Get Some Rest

 I’m thinking a lot about how we have the narrative that we need to work hard to prove our worth. Why can’t we be worthy just cause? Ehimora


Waking up late on a Saturday morning at my grandma's house was a definite cause for concern, a total no no

She would turn into a whole other creature, I could not figure out why! The lady that I would snuggle up to in the night to watch our favorite show called Prisoner, then we would talk about what happened in the show late into the night. There would be times after the show where I would be talking to her and then I would just hear her snoring away. When the circle opened with my cousins joining us, we would all pile onto the bed and make jokes and ask her questions about her youth. But, early on a Saturday morning, she would bust into the room and make a ruckus.

"Wake up! Don't let the sun come up before you in this house. Get up now!"

At first, when I was younger, I would ignore her, as I got older she would literally pull the covers off and tap me on my back until I got up.

"Not in this house will you wake up after the sun", when I asked her about it she would not answer it with a response that I could understand.

As I got older she started explaining that sleeping late is being lazy, as well as, not working all the time is also lazy. Laziness is not something the world rewards.

"Mummy, can you honestly say that you or I are lazy? give it some thought. I have no idea where you got this from but I want to suggest to you that it may not be true"

She is still up to this day not convinced.

Resting on a weekend is, as far as she is concerned, a sign of laziness.

The narrative behind working all the time ended with me, my mother bought into the waking up early and working all the time proves that one is not lazy.

I did not, I know that I am not lazy. I know that I don't have to prove that I am not lazy to anyone, and I know that rest is part of my journey.

There are quite a few of my friends who have bought into the narrative that they must be seen as hard working, they must work, work, work! or lest be seen as lazy or unproductive, they will not rest.

Rest is essential!

Rest is productive!

Rest is rejuvenating

Rest is required

Get some rest!

Have you read any of Akosua's work?

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