Remembering Mr. Festus Ayemere. August 19, 2022

I was in their house in the city of Lowell, a suburb of Boston, Massachusetts, on his invitation. He wanted to host me or thank me for the brief lecture I gave him that facilitated his passing a computerized self-assessment test and securing a job in one giant company.

As we were eating and chatting, he recounted his admiration for me since childhood, and reminisced glowingly about my mom's great personality, compassion, and wisdom, stating how much he loved her. And I thanked him.

Then, like bolt from the blue, he said, the one unique trait I like the most about you is that "Wor ghonghon Bhi-Osor-oria." He said so in our strong Ebhokhimi Esan dialect. In translation: "You are fond of showing excitement or happiness over the accomplishments or successes of other people."

Please, see #3 of the three things that mentally strong people do in the video playing below. I didn't realize that it takes mental agility to identify graciously with the breakthrough of others until I saw this story on Instagram. I thought it was just a normal trait.

Even though I was quite older than Festus at the time, that was my first time hearing the phrase in a conversation to qualify someone's character or attest to his goodness. It was about twenty years ago and I'm hearing it again, today, for the second time. And I still want to thank him.

And on a sad note, however, Festus died about two months after that meeting. And may his soul continue to rest in peace. Amen.

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Watch this reel by daughter_of_old on Instagram