Self-determination.
Cooperative work and responsibility.
Cooperative economics.
Purpose. Creativity.
Faith.
Each one of these values is represented by a candle in the kinara during the 7 days of Kwanzaa, which started December 26th.
Here, December 26th is deemed 'Boxing Day', an archaic holiday, the meaning blurred and now abused as an excuse for post Christmas Day shopping. Commerce never sleeps (and apparently is not above pimping out national holidays...). It is a shame that we rarely see Kwanzaa celebrated - or even mentioned - in my small corner of the earth. Because these qualities are so worthy of recognition and honor.
And in this era of 'the global village', maybe it's time to start learning from the sound values of others, rather than discarding them because they are not of our own devising.
Today, let us all - of our own devise - recognize the third illumination: self-determination.
It just might make the day a little more manageable.
