Sancofa Bird

The images were different. They were pen and ink drawings, black silhouettes or very colorful and fancy drawings, but it was clear that they were images of the same bird—the Sankofa bird. The feet faced forward, the head was turned backward, and it held a small ball in its beak.

The Sankofa bird has direct links to the African culture. Sankofa is a word from the Akan Twi and Fante languages of Ghana that means “go back and get.” The Sankofa bird’s feet are always facing forward while its head is turned backward.  It holds a precious egg in its mouth. Although the Sankofa bird is African in origin and I am of a different race and culture, the message of the Sankofa bird speaks to my heart, 

The presentation that I watched had many layers of meaning for this bird, and I found words that resonated within me:

• Life is a journey, and you move straight forward to build a better future.
• You may need to go back to get wisdom. 
• Your personal quest takes you deep within yourself.
• Failure is often one of the best teachers.
• Not everything that is faced can be changed.  But everything that is changed can be faced.”

The “Once upon a time” of my story did not begin with me. I have parents, siblings, grandparents, and more ancestors. I have a heritage that matters. Who they are becomes a part of my story. In my younger years I internalized values from those around me. As I grew older, I embarked on my own inner quest, and I continue to search deep within myself to discover who I am and what I might give and how I might help make the world a better place. I identify the things that are precious to me—what I desire to hold on to. 

I was born into the middle of a story. What will I choose to bring forward?