By Banji Ayoola
Innumerable are the connections, relationships, circumstances and experiences that help to shape, mold, polish, refine, mature and develop man throughout his journey on earth.
Right from birth and through his childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age till death, man is lovingly guided; he freely walks into connections or relationships that afford him experiences which shape, mold, refine and polish him, which help to develop or mature him up to a level unique only to him.
And throughout this earthly journey, he is propelled by certain inner stirring, or volition voluntarily decided by him.
Through this personal decision out of his innermost stirring or volition, coupled with what lies on his path, he is attracted here or there to certain connections or relationships, circumstances or situations to taste and experience.
In the process he is permitted to live off old evil ties, redeem himself or enjoy fruits of the good from old and new decisions.
In the process he is molded, shaped and refined; he matures and develops. He longs for new connections or relationships that afford him more enriching experiences. So he is lovingly guided into, or he freely walks into new connections or relationships.
In the process, he drops entirely some or many of his old connections, some which he maintains weakly or does not maintain as strongly as was before. In the process he is molded, shaped and refined; he matures and develops.
Certain invisible forces seem to be at work separating him and uniting him with other human beings, bringing new connections or relationships about and dissolving them whenever the time is ripe, as determined by these helping invisible forces. And in the process, he is molded, shaped and refined; he matures and develops.
The first earthly visible connection is the mother who, despite the labour pains, embraces him most lovingly in her thoughts. Through her at birth, he lands in the hands or company of the nurses, midwives and doctors who ring his mother round in the labour room to take safe delivery of him and give him first earthly loving care.
From here, he lands in the rest room in the company of other newborns and their recuperating mothers, helped by nurses and doctors. All along, the father, stands anxiously lovingly as a support by the mother to care for both the mother and child; accompanied probably by one or two close relatives.
From here, he lands in the home of his parents, welcomed by joyous brothers and sisters if there are any, relatives and neighbours, carried joyfully from hands to hands and lavished with loving thoughts, wishes and prayers. Everyone cares for him in love.
And so he grows in the company of his mother, father, brothers and sisters if there are any, relatives, neighbours and other helpers, each of who influences him with his or her peculiar personality that help shape and mold him further.
From his parents’ home, he lands in the nursery school to mix and learn with children from other homes under teachers, all of who again impress their individual nature on him, which also contribute to shaping and molding him.
On and on, he is lovingly guided and walks into many other connections which he needs, crossing the paths of many other human beings, making new friends and acquaintances at the primary and secondary schools, work, places visited, higher or other educational institutions and many other places where he crosses the paths of many other human beings, landing in many other connections which further shape, mold, polish, mature and develop him throughout his earth-life.
