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(TALKZIMBABWE) COLUMN: Susan Tsvangirai, A Portrait of Humanity

COLUMN: Susan Tsvangirai, A Portrait of Humanity
Tue, 10 Mar 2009 10:20:00 +000

THE passing on last Friday of the wife of the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, the Right Honourable Morgan Tsvangirai was as shocking as it was painful. I cried silent tears. I had only ever met Mrs Tsvangirai once, some time in 1998 as they were doing window shopping one Saturday morning in Harare with their children.

PM Tsvangirai was then Secretary General of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU). However, at the news of her passing on I felt like I had lost my own mother. The reason is this woman is a symbol of what makes us human – humble, warm, loving and caring.

Today I am not going to sing a funeral dirge or an ode to the dear departed. I want to sing a song of celebration to the life of this great woman. The greatest tragedy in life is not death, but life...life that fails to fulfil its purpose.

We celebrate her life, because it’s a life that fulfilled its purpose. Not least the purpose of being a pillar of strength and source of comfort to the PM, and the purpose of making a difference to those she came into contact with.

Susan Nyaradzo Tsvangirai 1958 – 2009 ... It’s all in the dash

“After King David had served his generation according to the will of God, he fell asleep...”- Dr Luke in the Book of Acts

The day we are born is the day we start our special assignment. The day we die is the day we complete that assignment. How we execute our special assignment is summarised in the dash (-) between the date of birth and the date of death.

It’s not how many years you live on earth that makes a difference, but what you do with the number of years you have in this world. Susan Tsvangirai made the most of those 50 years in this world.

The outpouring of sympathies and eulogies from all over the globe for Susan Tsvangirai is a reflection of the size of the dash in her life. Even Hollywood star couple Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt were among those to make a call to the PM. Mrs Tsvangirai quietly touched so many lives.

Through her Nyaradzo Trust she helped HIV patients, the poor and at some point her house had been turned into a soup kitchen to feed the hungry.

Legends Never Die

The memory of Susan Tsvangirai will forever be interred in the hearts of the people she touched, not in a physical shrine.

Her legendary humility, warmth and love shall forever be an inspiration and an example of what makes us human. Her legacy of service and quiet hope is the foundation upon which the story of her life will continue to echo for generations to come.

Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Louis Vutton or Prada will all fade over time, but the gift of love creates a lasting legacy. In a world full of celebrity culture, it’s easy to build one’s brand around ostentation, but the fruits which last are those which touch people’s lives.

Touching of people’s lives is the gift Susan Tsvangirai has bequeathed to her generation.

May the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, mount guard over the hearts of PM Tsvangirai, the children, family, friends and all those mourning the passing on of Mrs Tsvangirai.

Labels: SUSAN TSVANGIRAI

posted by MrK @ 5:35 PM