By Mataeliga Pio Sioa
The measles epidemic has come and gone. Lives of innocent children were lost and we mourn their passing.
As Christians we console our loss and grief knowing they are now angels in Heaven.
Our Holy Bible tells us about Jesus saying ‘…let the children come.’
One day our time will come. Our faith assures us that our children will flutter down in their small wings to welcome us to our everlasting home.
Our broken hearts will be lovingly mended and our souls lifted in eternal joy.
As we await our ‘call up’ the best we can do is to live life to the fullest on this earth.
Be positive and make yourself useful for your own good. If you can spread the goodwill to others by all means do so.
The fault finding of the measles epidemic by angry critics has been regurgitated for too long it is way past expiration date.
To keep harping on who or what was at fault is nothing less than a sick personal agenda or hidden vendetta agitating to keep pounding away.
Sitting on your backside for long spells of time is not doctor recommended.
The butt needs to move about to circulate the blood and move the bum muscles to keep the body in good health.
It also helps to give the seat you sat on some space to breath fresh air and enjoy the bright healthy rays of the sun for a change.
PM Tuilaepa has said all that has to be said on the measles epidemic. Time to close that sad chapter off.
We have done the postmortem and it is time to bury it in its final resting place.
Learn and move on. We cannot continue to remain fixated on what has or could have been. Unhealthy.
The coronavirus pandemic deserves all our attention now. The threat to our health is deadly.
We have taken the hard lessons learnt from the measles and kept Samoa safe from the global pandemic for going on a full year now. Good on us.
Well over a million lives are lost around the world with many more millions infected everyday.
New variants of the virus are starting to pop up in several global locations. More jitters are added to our already jittery composure.
The global economy continues to crumble by the pounding from the pandemic. We too are feeling it in Samoa.
Our border lockdown has effectively shut our tourism industry right down to zero visitors and zero earnings for 10 consecutive months and counting.
Remittances are propping our economy up. The question though is for how long? Latest Central Banks numbers showed they have been dropping in the last few months.
The only bright light at the end of this pandemic tunnel is how we have responded well with our resilience.
We need to keep pushing our resolve along by turning to the land for our survival.
The pathway is not going to get any easier. Climate change continues to loom bigger and more life threatening with the balance of nature out of alignment.
Our general elections are coming up. Angry politics are bursting out of the villages in protest at the election campaign rhetoric of shame and blame.
Our foundation of stability as a nation is getting a fair rattling by the division of political loyalties.
Our traditional system of authority under the matai system is being tested. Our religious faith is challenged by church leaders meddling in the political affairs of state.
The list grows longer. The more we look around the longer it seems the list stretches on the many issues deserving our personal attention.
Before the day ends we have to decide. Should we give our sitting butts and the seat it sits on some relief by getting up and moving along?
Moving along where? Indeed where! Well, we can always sit back down and dwell as we did with the measles epidemic.
The option is to walk outside and plant a few taros, bananas or even vegetables. Going to church and praying for our leaders to stop meddling in politics is a choice also.
While we are at it we can also ask the Lord’s help to re-align the changes in our angry climate.
Flooding on our streets in Apia is happening with every little drop of rain.
The choices are not always easy. But anything is better than being a big lazy bum with nothing better to do but chew on the same tired cud like the measles epidemic.
Sorry to talk about bums on your day Lord.