The humans who carry us on their wings

"NOW this is the Law of the Jungle as old and as true as the sky;

And the Wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the Wolf that shall break it must die.

As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunk the Law runneth forward and back —

For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack." Rudyard Kipling

If only humans can believe in this law. The key to prosperity is having people around you who uplift you and believe in you. Who are your biggest cheerleaders when you are up or down. Those who love you unconditionally and will tell you when your wrong and celebrate you when you are right. As Maya Angelou wrote "nobody

can make it out here alone." Regardless of how talented, clever or skilful you may be, without other human beings you cannot fulfil our potential.

However if you do not surround yourself with good people that wish you well or are invested in you, you will die, metaphorically. Sometimes even physically. Those who do not know that there is power in numbers, and two are better than one, are selfish, envious and calculative creatures. They will use you to fulfil their end and never give anything back. When you surround yourself with such people you will find you are physically and mentally drained. They do not know that your strengths can only be enhanced by each other.

My self believe and success has come from other people. Whether it was through books, friendships, family, educators academia, or the bible. I've had supportive family members. I've had friends, people who do not owe me anything, who have encouraged me with their words and made me believe in myself. They've also supported me through everything I've been through. I've been touched by my lecturers at university who took an interest in me, because they did not have to and they have helped me grow in every aspect of my life. Some of my teachers and my classmates have applauded my work and inspired me to strive for excellence. There have been some people from church who have stood by me as Christian brethren and carried my loads with me.

Of course they have also been times in my life were I falsely called people friends and companions, people who were actively wishing for my downfall or using me to gain something. Nevertheless such people fall into their own pit. The bible says " to have a friend you must be a friend." (Proverbs 18:24) Shallow people can only maintain shallow friendships, they have to make it alone and loose the comfort and solidarity that comes with friendship. They end up not making it alone, or become very successful through being sneaky and become emotionally unfulfilled. When their in need they will find they have no friend indeed.

Find people who are with you when you're in need. A friend is " a person with whom one has a bond of mutual affection, typically one exclusive of sexual or family relations. " (Oxford dictionary )Though I believe one can relate with family members as friends. No one can have affection for someone and watch them suffer alone. When people disappear when you are going through hard times celebrate ! and look for the people who stand by you. At least now you have more time to spend cultivating a life with people who want to build with you. It is a fantastic thing to be loved deeply by people and we often forget their sacrifices and loving gestures, because we are too busy worrying about people who don't matter. If people do not help you build a life- they don't matter. Praise your loyalists and appreciate them this Christmas and all the time !

I haven't forgotten about the strangers who show us affection, who believe its their humanly duty to love their neighbour and "we have to carry each other." As Mary J Blidge and U2 sang. Those are the people who make us proud to be human, remind us that humans are suppose to be humane and seen to be "having or showing compassion or benevolence." They are the lights that brighten up this harsh planet. It's become so easy for people to act like other people don't matter and to seek out their own ends. Nevertheless only a fool believes he is his own strength. Wise are those who know the strength of humanity is the human, but the human is nothing without other humans. Make sure your pack believe this too and all of you will prosper ! This world is a jungle your pack must operate like Rudyard Kipling's wolves.

Signed a stranger who loves you,
Tuntum Nahana Akosua