Inspired by:
“‘Black Panther’ star, Chadwick Boseman dies at the age of 43 after having been diagnosed with colon cancer in 2016”. T’Challa promised and reminded us at all we beheld the power and reins to the world. The mantra ‘Wakanda Forever’ is forever going to be etched in our memories as the realization of the greatness authenticity and commitment he portrayed and taught us through his character in the Black Panther movie slowly dawns on us. We shall not be too quick to forget you, king. Rest in Power.
The beauty of life, it is said, lies in its unpredictability. We crave to know what will happen to us in the next second, a minute or even in a few years. Despite this, it is only those who know that they have just but a short while on this earth that decisively live quality lives. Making the utmost value of the time they spend breathing rather than wondering whether they will be living the next second. Maybe we have the wrong idea. Maybe death is the greatest gift that we ever had but fail to appreciate it. It is only in the face of death that actual life comes into perspective and the human brain focuses only on the few things that mattered to them. At this point, no man will think to ask about how much money they have in their bank account. The only thing they might ask is to get reunited with the estranged child they had abandoned long ago; in a bid to make amends. In death, only the force that rules and makes the world reckon its face and power remains precedent. The power of love. ‘Love makes the world go round’. Love makes the world abound in beauty, honesty, perspective and purpose. Love is power.
Chadwick Boseman shed necessary light upon these things all through his presence in the world’s limelight in the entertainment industry. He made sure that his actions and words made at least one person go to bed smiling and looking forward to living and fighting the following day. Sadly, enough we did not realize that he was slowly but surely fading away from the face of the earth. He depicted determination to right the wrongs of his predecessors in a manner never seen before. He accepted to be taken into account for all his actions and decisions. Something that most of our world leaders failed to do from time immemorial and even today. He showed gracefulness and composure where chaos and disharmony threatened to break the ties of society from its roots. He illustrated the power of the black man, the man of colour, and the man enslaved and disregarded simply because of his skin. He was and will forever remain a Bison that carried the torch for all of us to see the path to greatness right ahead of us.
Gone too soon! You constantly reminded us that Wakanda is forever. We are at a bleak corner in the tunnel through which you were leading. A land of peace, power, purpose and harmony. Now we are lost looking on to whomever you entrusted with the duty to lead us on. We are like sheep lost in the wild looking for a shepherd. But we remember that you trained us like royalty. To take charge of our own lives even in the face of adversity. For what is man without adversity? What is faith in the absence of hope? Without it, would the human race ever deem it fit to make changes aimed at the creation of a better world? Who would desire to use technology and come up with mind-boggling innovations that would cause shifts in the world order? Would we ever crave more if we had everything? At this point, I realize that you gave us the tools we required. Not to imply that we shall not miss your presence, but I do know that I will make you proudly smile wherever you are once you see the world I have helped create.
Sometimes I wonder how I would have lived my life had I been the one receiving that life-changing diagnosis 4 years ago. Would I have cowered in fear and withdrawn from the world? Or would I have pushed myself further and harder as you did to leave a legacy? I have faced adversity severally before but never gone to the lengths you did to remind us who we are. T’Challa, you may have left us physically but your strength and spirit will forever be ingrained in our hearts. Every morning when we wake up we shall reminisce on the values you instilled in us and fight to achieve our goals and ambitions in life. We shall always push forward when the binds get tighter pulling us backwards. We shall always rise stronger when the world tramples on and beats us down. We shall always try incessantly even in the face of constant rejection. We shall always live today without fear, for tomorrow may not be ours to enjoy.
A great leader. A real-life superhero. A man that made us believe in the literal existence of Wakanda. You will forever be missed. Never forgotten. Always cherished. You showed us strength when yours was fading. You gave us hope when yours was lost. You gave us passion when yours had just begun to manifest before our eyes. You gave us smiles when your hospital visits were a constant pain. You reminded us how we were supposed to live just when you were about to leave. And for that, I shall always remember that strength is simply an acclamation of faith and belief in oneself. And the ability to follow through with it is superheroic. Will Wakanda remain forever as you promised? Shall we manage to pursue the goals you had in mind? Do we even have the capacity to go on? My icon. My hero. Till we meet again. Rest in Power.
