Sometime in life you can only depend on yourself and your immediate family for real support. Many times we let each other down or are first to judge, doubt others or even  mistake their intentions. You can easily see this, If you ever find yourself in a bind, see who will come to your rescue and i guarantee you those are your true friends and confidantes. It is funny when some friends hear you have hit a rough patch  and they  are quick to  dissappear and fast to spread all kind of rumors.  You may not even need their help,  or whatever your situation, there is no way they can even help you out , but somehow they just assume, you are going to ask them for God knows what and they just dissappear.

Well, c’est la vie! It is life! It is all part of rediscovering yourself and the people you surround yourself with.  I am the type of person if someone needed help and came to me, i would gladly help them out and keep it to myself. I think that is the right thing to do, and if a friend confides in me with a secret, i just keep it that way- a secret.  Now, i know a handful of people that won’t do the same. I have had calls where people will tell me all sorts of things that people i know are going through, and they would add ” could you please not  tell anyone, because so-so asked that i keep it a secret, but am just telling you”. Gossip. Jeez, sometime I wonder whether people really think through what they are going to say, or just take sometime to listen to themselves before they open their mouths.

I grew up in Tanzania-Africa, surrounded by lots of family.  I remember seeing other moms and just some members of our family just coming to talk to my mom about what they were going through.  We would have worked 10+ hours a day at the shop and you could tell my brother and i were just about ready to go home, but my mom would patiently stand there and listen to whoever that  showed up there that day and just talk to them. Most of the time she would end up  giving them a bag of groceries, corn, beans or potatoes. Never would my mom ever tell any of us what that person ever said to her.  She always used to say never let anyone go to bed hungry, it is just food.  Back then, i never really thought anything of it, but  truly her actions taught me a lot about  how to treat others, regardless of their walk of life.

How many times would you pay a full price of an item at a stranger’s shop but would refuse to go to your friend’s because he or she won’t give you that item for free or at a discount? I know , ridiculous concept, huh. You will be amazed how even some family members would rather take their business elsewhere instead of  family because somehow they think they are entitled  most of it free or if they do give you their business they would be benefitting you too much. What is it they say.. I am not going to make them rich while they sit there?.  I know. I know. Not everyone is like that, but try to open your own business and see how many people you know will be supportive.

So if you are out there and are going through  some ups and downs for one reason or another, stay strong that too shall pass. Remember, when one door closes another opens.  If you just went into business for yourself, look further, beyond the people you know, you will be surprised  to find that people don’t have to know you to need your services or goods.  For the friends and family stay positive, be there for each other, don’t be quick to judge and bring others down, Remember one day you may be up, but the next you may be down. It is part of life’s journey, so treat others like you would want to be treated.

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