Author: Vivien Ayinotu

Think Positive No Matter What

I was speaking with a friend the other day and for some reasons she seemed to be full of negative views and perceptions of life. She tried to narrate most of her encounters to me; which she found very displeasing. There was so much bitterness and a sort negative energy as she spoke and almost every scenario seems to be worthless or have some negative news in stock for her.

However, as I listened to her I felt her pain to an extent but I do not think my friend is handling the situation the best way she could. To be honest, she can only jeopardise the beautiful future that I can see that lies ahead of her and most importantly would fail herself.

I have known this friend back in the days and I tried to remind her of situations where she made very good decisions/choices and when she had encouraged other people. ‘You are the still same person and can do whatever you convince yourself to do; just start from somewhere’, I said to her.
I tried to let her see that all those instances she has termed bad luck were not necessarily bad luck. ‘Sometimes, things happen for a reason and there are times they just happen. How we cope is what differentiates us from another,’ I told her.
In my opinion, there are lots of things one ought to be grateful for; if not for anything: the gift of life, shelter, clothes and food on our table. Being able to drive expensive cars and go on vacation yearly should not be a yardstick for measuring a good life.
Nonetheless, as humans, there are times we are faced with difficult challenges and think all seems bleak and the future doomed, that too will come and go. I strongly believe that no situation is permanent, what matters is what we make out of any given situation. 
As I and my friend chatted, I asked her about her faith and encouraged her to muster the strength to fight her battles. ‘You are still young, have your career and have a very supportive family – all of these should serve as a drive for you. When for you feel down-casted, look back and thank God for all you have.  ‘I think you already have a lot’, that made her laugh. 
I made her realise that she cannot give up on her life goals and most importantly not to give up on herself. Finally, I encouraged her go to God in prayers and leave all that troubles her with Him.  
The conversation reminded me of a book I read some time ago ‘The Secret’ by Rhonda Byrne. I encouraged my friend to go through it. This book speaks in great volume about positive thinking; how thoughts and feelings creates one’s life, how feeling good sends a good signal into the universe and attracts good things to the individual. It mentioned things like having secret shifters i.e. list of things that can help change how one is feeling in a snap such as funny moments, favourite music, someone you love etc. 
The book comprises of collections from different writers. It is a nice piece of work. 

Have a beautiful August my Lovelies.

Follow @AyinotuV

No Child Deserves To Suffer

While I was in a shopping mall in Enugu; Shoprite to be precise, I heard a car alarm system going off and some security guards were at the scene. As I walked past the car park, it turned out to be that a child was left in the back of the vehicle (Suv) that was locked.

Photc credit: Nairaland.com
Photo credit: Panoramio.com
Let me elaborate further, the child who you can hardly make out if they were  a boy or girl should be about ten years old. With the assistance of the security men and much persuasion the child was able to come out of the vehicle. He was boiling in there but was very scared of leaving because I would assume he was warned to remain in the vehicle. 

This incident took place in April, 2016 in Nigeria and the temperature was as high as 40 centigrade and above; anybody that was in Nigeria around that time can agree with me on this. So, you can imagine how sunny it was and what this child must have experienced while being locked up at the back of Suv.

So many questions kept coming into my mind, like:
– Why would someone lock up a child at the back of their car?
– Is this child not presentable enough to parade with them in the shopping mall?
– Why is it that some adults don’t treat their maids like humans?

I felt really sad for what I saw that day. To be honest, within 30secs of taking a glance at the little boy, I struggled to work out his sex. He was wearing a cafetan (a free flowing gown), his hair was uncombed lowcut and on his feet a pair of brown rubber sandals. He could barely look up. 

I simply decided that he could be a ‘he’. That leaves me with another question: Who dresses their child like that?

In my opinion, I do not have a clue of what this child’s background is but I can tell that he would be much valued and treated as a person if he were to be living with his own parent(s). 

Dear parents, I know we live in a hard economy; where things and times are hard but please try and look after the kids your bring into this world. No child should be allowed to suffer. When you send them out as maids to people; be it relatives, bear in mind that they are not theirs and can hardly be treated as theirs. If they end up with people that have some conscience, good for them. 

Dear guardians or Madams, you all need help with chores and staying without maid is inevitable. Please treat your maids as humans. They deserve your love, care and affection just like you would do if they were to be your own. Remember, that they are living with you does not make them less human. In fact,they have come to help you why don’t you help them too or make life easy for them?

I intentionally mentioned Madams because in most homes it is the woman that normally see to the affairs of the maid. That a maid is happy or treated well where he/she lives boils down to the madam of the house. Sometimes, I wonder why the men give a cold shoulder to these kind of issues at home whereas they could tell that something is not right and can make an effort to fix it.
No child deserves to suffer. 
P.S Hope your May has been going well? May the remainder of the month bring you good news.

Liver Diseases

I have come across lots of articles and case studies on liver diseases and the rapid health decline of most sufferers. So, I will like to share some of my knowledge of the liver and liver diseases. I will tell it like a story and cite where necessary. 
Before I start, what melted my heart the other day was when I met a very young girl who has undergone two liver transplants. In this girl’s case, her former transplant failed because her body system rejected the organ. The later transplant is pretty new and she complained of so much pain and discomfort. As I write this, my heart reaches to her, I wish her a speedy recovery and hope this is her last organ transplant. 
The liver is the second largest organ in the body and the biggest reservoir for blood. It serves as the body factory and plays lots of significant roles that are vital to life. The liver is located in the upper right side of the abdomen, beneath the diaphragm and on the top of the right kidney.
The main functions of the liver include;

  • Filtration and cleansing of the blood 
  • Fights against infections and diseases
  • Production of proteins that makes blood clot( i.e when you bleed)
  • Aids in digestion
  • Destroys and deals with poisons and drugs
  • Excretion of wastes.
There are lots of other roles the liver play in the body. It is a very powerful organ than we think. 

Onset of liver disease:- Acute- Whereby it happens over a short period of time

                                   -Chronic- Here, the disease manifests after couple of years e.g 5-8 years

Main causes: -Heavy alcohol consumption or alcohol misuse (the commonest)
                      -Undiagnosed hepatitis
                      -Obesity
Types of Liver diseases
-Alcohol related liver diseases- Liver damage occurs due to years of heavy alcohol consumption.
-Non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases-  
-Hepatitis- Inflammation of the liver
-Haemochromatosis i.e an inherited disorder whereby there is iron overload in the body
-Primary biliary cirrhosis
All these types of  liver diseases can cause scarring of the liver, which is called Cirrhosis (www.nhs.uk)

Pathophysiology
Photo credit: Youtube images
The liver responds to injury by becoming inflamed. Any form of inflammation of the liver is known as hepatitis. This can happen suddenly (acute) or over a long period of time (chronic). Repeated injuries cause the liver cell not to regenerate any more, fibrosis gradually forms.
When the fibrosis spreads out due to persistent harm not been addressed, the liver shape and function is disrupted.and is known as compensated cirrhosis. As damage progresses, the liver is unable to function effectively (decompensated) and begins to fail. This stage is termed end stage liver disease this allows toxic chemicals and wastes to build up in the body causing  jaundice, ascites and hepatic encephalopathy (i.e. a brain disorder due to toxins in the brain). Further deterioration may lead to multiple organ failure and death. 
Signs and Symptoms:
It is important to know that liver diseases can go on for a long time before the clinical manifestations sets in. They include:

  • Loss of appetite
  • Weight loss or sudden weight gain 
  • Jaundice i.e yellowing of the skin
  • Itchy skin and bruises
  • Fluid retention (oedema)
  • Brownish or orange tint in the urine
  • Light coloured stools
  • Confusion, disorientation, personality changes
Treatment and Management  
This can achieved mainly the use of drugs or surgery
–Diet control; Avoiding too much or little protein.
–Drugs:-Lactulose;This works by changing the stool acidity which prevents bacterial growth and reduces                    ammonia production.
            -Neomycin; An antibiotic which kills intestinal bacteria and minimises ammonia production.
            -Rifaxiimin; An antibiotic used in reducing the recurrence of hepatic encephalopathy.
–Surgery: –Paracentesis: This is the removal of fluid that has accumulated in the liver due to ascites
                 –Liver transplant: This occurs in cases where liver transplant is inevitable.

Prevention
The commonest type of liver diseases is the Alcohol liver disease, which means we can make liver diseases unpopular.
  • Avoidance or minimal alcohol intake (you need to know your limit: Ask)
  • Diet: reduced protein intake is advised to minimise ammonia(waste) production
  • Exercise- This is good for you to stay fit. Being overweight or obese can affect the progress or treatment your liver condition. Thus, avoid sendatary lifestyles.
  • Get vaccinated against hepatitis B.
  • Health education about liver and causes of liver disease: Equip yourself by reading or watching videos or discussing with health professional about the liver.
References: 
British Liver Trust, 2014
http://stemcellfoundation.ca/en/diseases/liver-failure
www.nhs.uk, 2014

Disclaimer: This cannot substitute for a professional medical advice and treatment. Research further and seek help when need be.

P.S. It’s quite a lengthy post. Thanks for your time😄

Sorry Sir

A friend of mine was attending to a gentleman.

Halfway, the man interrupted.

“How many legs do you have?” He asked her.

“Two”, she answered.

She then looked down to her feet…

The man said “Can you please stand on your own legs”

It turned out to be that my friend’s left foot was actually comfortably resting on top of his, unbeknown to her.

I couldn’t stop laughing when my friend told me about this.

However, I would like to assume he wasn’t in much discomfort.

P.S. I will like to mention that March is my month and March 2016 is very special to me. 

Have a beautiful month Pals.

Do You Think People Around You Know Truly Who You Are?

I enjoyed this lovely sermon from my priest; one of his interesting lenten season preachings. I would like to call this, my favorite.

He talked about the marvelous works of Jesus and how he did masked himself most of times as his power would be too much for anyone he comes in contact with to contend.

Photo Credit: www.taskforce-gaea.com

Applying the same masking formulae to humans, the reverse is the case. He told us that some individuals are living in pretense just to fit into the society.

He went further and said that such false way of living can momentarily be beneficial to us but most of the time it has an adverse effect on us.

He went on to tell us all to imagine what our lives would be like, if we truly show inner selves to people around us.
Take for instance:
     -A situation where we do not have to cover up to look accepted amongst our peers or colleagues.
     -A situation where we say something in honesty and people take our word for it.
     -A situation where we express ourselves freely without being afraid of being called names.
The list goes on…

It actually occurred to me that we live in a world where we most times find ourselves doing what is expected of us by the society irrespective of what we actually want or how we feel about them..

Do you think people around you know truly who you are?

P.S. It’s my first post for the year.
Have a beautiful 2016. 

Mother’s Love.

Hi friends, it has been a while. When I want to type, the creativity vanishes and I will say to myself  – its okay I will write later. You know the rest of the story when procrastination spirit sets in. More so, with busy work schedules, that did not help at all. I did miss writing so much.

I was travelling the other day while trying to rest my tired brain, with my eyes closed, I was drawn into the conversation of two women sitting adjacent to where I sat. They seem to be in their early fifties or thereabout. I will call them ‘Sara and Tara’.

Sara was telling Tara how her sick Mum who was actually a wheelchair bound turned around to be the one looking after her while she was ill.

‘Mum would wake up in the morning, come to see how am doing and bring prepared food for me. I have never seen my mother that active in the last three years. I usually go over every morning to help her with washing, cooking and tidying the house.’

Sara continued, ‘it is unbelievable what you see happening around you sometimes. At first, I felt so weak and unhappy because I was ill and very dependent on my husband and son. However, my mum being very supportive and somewhat independent thrills me. I cannot begin to explain to you how I feel Tara. I believe God in all situations.’

Tara sounded pleased with the story too.

Anyway, I began to do my own reflection and had some good thoughts to analyse too.
Sometimes, it can be amazing how what seems like a hopeless situation to us turns out to be a turning point.

P.S: Have a great weekend and a beautiful November in advance.

Let Us Save Our Climate

 

Photo credit: CAFOD

I attended a CAFOD meeting on Sunday and was intrigued by the issues discussed and the number of people that turned up. CAFOD stands for Catholic Agency for Overseas Development. Their mission is to work along the worlds poorest people.

During the meeting, the speakers talked about climate change and how it affects various countries, especially those who already experience extreme weather conditions. They equally highlighted the significance of controlling energy  consumption in our various homes, places of work, etc.

Among many important issues discussed, included emulating country such as Germany that utilises more of solar energy. They were of the opinion that if Germans can do it despite not having much period of sunshine season then why can’t other countries do same?

Furthermore, we were encouraged to  sign a form which would ensure that the UK party leaders play their own part as the election draws near. Climate change posses a great threat to reducing poverty that exists in our society.

The event was concluded with a reflective moment and prayer. During the reflective exercise, we were asked to think about ways by which we can help reduce the impact on our climate. It could be by reducing our energy consumption, walking more, commuting by public transport than using own cars, or even by making a colleague or friend aware of the climate change.

Frankly speaking, I am pleased with the work of CAFOD in underdeveoped countries, as they go about to reach out to people in need.

You can look up the climate change campaign here: http://www.cafod.org.uk/Campaign/One-Climate-One-World
Have a beautiful Month. Lets save our climate.

My Easter Story

The holy week is one of those days in the church I look forward to. This is due to the variety of hymns being sang and all the Latin aspects that comes with the occasion.

Let me give you a brief account of my holy week. So, I was opportune to attend the holy wednesday mass which kicked of with the stations of the cross. Mmm… I really enjoyed that bit because that was actually the only time time I was able to partake in it with my brethren this Lenten period. Personally, I love it when am able to go to the church for the stations of the cross with the congregation than when am alone at home.

Then came the Maundy thursday. For me, this event started with singing rehearsals,the mass and the procession. It was lovely as the hymns were so transforming and sublime. They included Love is His word, Pange lingua gloriosi, Panis angelicus(one of my favourite songs) to mention but a few.

Oh! Did I mention that we had the Bishop in our midst too? He visited us and was the main celebrant. His sermon was brilliant as he talked us through the reenactment of Jesus last days prior to his arrest. He encouraged us to watch and pray with Christ. The washing of the feet was carried out as well. More so, those points in the mass where a priest says a part and the other says another part stood out for me. I had a swell time. It felt like experiencing catholicism in its full splendour.

The holy thursday ended with the carrying of the blessed sacrament in procession to the garden of repose. The parish priest encouraged us to stay for a little while and say some private prayers.

I have an intriguing story for you now; while I stayed behind and prayed,I watched a lady who had gone close to the blessed sacrament and prostrated. That got me as I have not seen that act of adoration being displayed in a very long time. It happened to be that I had seen this very lady on holy wednesday tidying the church premises. So, on my way home, I saw her on the other side of the road and I waved her and said hello(I kind of wondered why I was saying hello in the first place). 

She crossed over to me and asked for my name,that she had seen me the other day…We became friends. She told me her version of the celebration, how she cried when the blessed sacrament was to be taken to the gardens of the repose and asked God to forgive her sins.She told me that most times instead of thanking God she complains about what haves and haves not.  She added that in the garden of repose, it felt like she saw Jesus.”I felt someone holding me” she said to me. I suppose she really had a divine encounter. From our little  chat, my new friend does lots of charity work and believes in miracles. Bless her.

Do you know what? I was actually pleased with myself that I said that ‘hello’ at that time.

Have a beautiful Easter celebration. Many thanks for reading.

Keeping A Positive Attitude While Waiting

I ran into an old friend the other day in a function. In my opinion, she was and still the type of person I would describe as a nice and kindhearted woman. She was gloomy and her mind seemed preoccupied with some personal issues. I kind of observed her for some time and later asked if she was alright.
She shook her head. I gently said to her, “whatever it is, can you at least keep your head straight?” She looked at me,”Vivien you will not understand”, she said to me.In my mind, it is not that I do not want to know what was bothering a friend but I found it to be in appropriate as we were in the midst of people and I did not want her to go ahead and voice her feelings out loud.
Photo credit:Google profile pic
So, when she began to tell me how things were so were so rough for her I simply held her hand and lead her out of the room. Moments later, we were went to a more private section in the building where she poured her heart out to me. The story range from family issues, pressure at work place, wanting to get a better job but for some personal reasons not able initiate the step at the time, to name a few.
For me, the family one was the most important because so many things can go wrong and at any time but you still have to go home everyday and home should at least be a peaceful place you look forward to.  At home, she has issues with her partner; who would not like to help out with child care,  up-keeping  of the the house and above all still expects so much from her.
Did I forget to mention that the pair are blessed with two lovely kids? Yes they are that lucky.

She went on and on. I   inquired from her how long she has been able to put up with all of that, how she has tried handling them and whether a family  member  or a close friend has meddled. Then, she told me how numerous interventions, how some lasted for inly a day and the rest were rather fruitless. Enough heard in regards to the family squabbles already, so I gave some piece of advice and tried to let her  understand  how she can repeat certain things she had already  tried out but with a more different approach.Some greater piece of my advice I am not going to disclose here.

As per the workplace problem, I tried to reason with her in the sense that when you are working, you spend a great deal of your time at work. More so, when we find it that challenging and dislike it.Then it becomes a problem and our emotions and other essential aspects of our lives suffers. To worsen it all, she felt that she stuck in her current job and cannot tell how soon she is likely to get a different job.We explored her circumstances,weighed her options and I made her understand that she has options. “You can achieve this and many more, all you need to do is to set your priority, make out time, be focused and in due time;sooner than you can imagine you will live your dream”, those were my words to her. 

Most importantly, I repeatedly told her to be prayerful.By maintaining close communication with God through prayers you are not alone.I encouraged her to try and be strong for herself and if she can, wear a face that tends to imply that she has  everything under control.Besides, there are a lot of things one can still be grateful for in any given situation. I can tell that by the time we have talked this far that her mood had already enlightened. She was pleased with the conversation. 
Mmm… we were still in a function remember? So, we walked back into the room and joined others. I can tell I missed a bit on the agenda of the function but I was fulfilled to have spent a reasonable time with a friend. 

Happy People

Photo credit: emdoodle.com
I saw this pretty petite lady dancing
throwing her hands freely into the air
in a not sunny nor cold but dull weather
some distances away from the bus stop in a busy area.
She was all smiles and looked completely happy. 
Clothed in a flowered colourful shirt, long spotted skirt and trainers
I suppose she wouldn’t notice the staring faces of passersby. 
She continued smiling and perhaps was worried about nothing.
Amazingly, there ought to be food and shelter
Some where for her.
If she can be that happy then why cant you?
If the very lady I just told you about
can be that pleased with herself and jubilate,
then, I would like to believe there are some many things you can be thankful for.
Stop being sober, be happy and worry less.
 
P. S. Thanks friends for making out time to read some of my posts. May your year be fulfilled.