“Seek knowledge before vengeance”

By Sandra Phillip Hodge, Contributor

On Sunday, March 26, we laid our dear brother, “Pupa Ken” to rest.

My heartfelt gratitude to all who have been a source of comfort, help, encouragement, and inspiration since his passing on March 4th.

Our family will ever appreciate every act of kindness, and expression of love that was shown to us during our time of bereavement.

It is said that weddings and funerals tend to bring out the best (or worst) in families. Sometimes it only shows how disoriented or disorganized those in certain positions can be.

Sometimes it’s a litmus test that shows the real power-grabbers; those resorting to the lowest form of conspiracy tactics in order to advance their agendas.

In other words, one can easily pin-point trouble makers by identifying those who try to usurp the rights of others.

Refusing to include key family members in family meetings, withholding pertinent information, and stirring up strife with biased and misleading information are some of the challenges that family members face whenever they allow non-family members to intercept the role of next-of-kin, when they are neither related by love nor by law.

It’s a dangerous relationship precedence to set. As my Grandfather used to say: “when you play with puppy dog, they lick your mouth”.

Having said that, family members need to understand the need to respect the memory of the departed loved one.

If you know that your loved one was a certain kind of person, who live a certain kind of way, their legacy should be reflected in whatever ceremony is held in their honor.

Disrespect breeds disrespect. For if you do it to others, look out for it being done to you at some time in the future, when you have no control over matters that affect you.

Ignorance is a self-defeating obstacle to progress. As long as you cling to it like a cherished sore-foot, it won’t heal.

Ignorance can only be replaced by ‘seeking knowledge before vengeance’.

Pupa Ken’s philosophy in life was based on his integrity as a hard-working, fun-loving, law-abiding citizen, who loved people, and went beyond the extra mile to make others happy.

He was not perfect, by any means, but he commanded respect, and got it up until he died.

When a man dies his world collapses, and it is up to those to whom he has entrusted his affairs, those who care about his legacy, and those who will continue to honor what he stood for, to ensure that his life’s work, his children, and what he has achieved during his lifetime, is not carelessly, and mischievously squandered.

In order to ensure that Pupa Ken’s twin pre-teen-age sons are not left without some sort of financial security for their future educational development, it is our hope that we can establish a memorial fund in honor of their father.

To this end, we seek the support of all who knew Ken, and would like to contribute by donating to the fund. Sports and Musical Activities will be held under the theme: “Seek knowledge B4 Vengeance”, to commemorate special events to raise funds, including the distribution of a Memorial Magazine which was recently released.

Copies can be obtained by sending your requests to [email protected]

Again, on behalf of my family, to all who gave their support, financially, emotionally, morally, and otherwise, “thank you”. But most of all, I thank those whose prayers have been constant.

I ask that you continue to pray for my family, as we still face many challenges. Pray for Ken’s three sons and two granddaughters.

Pray that our young people in this territory will learn the value of ‘seeking knowledge’ before resorting to violence and other self-destructive activities.

As Ken would say: “the easiest way to grow as a person is to surround yourself with people smarter than you are”.

Learn from those with experience, and don’t be intimidated because they may know something more than you. Seek knowledge before vengeance. One Love.

Copyright © 2017 by Sandra Phillip Hodge