Celebrating the living

This past week, a popular Zimdancehall musician succumbed to diabetes complications at the age of 31. As I was going through people's reactions on social media, an old question was triggered, why are people celebrated more when they die than when they are still alive?

The hero

The musician was buried on 20 of February 2021. He was declared a liberation war hero by the government of Zimbabwe which meant that he received a state assisted burial and a twenty one gun salute. Although he did not fight the liberation war, he was viewed as having positively contributed to society through his music hence the recognition. Prominent people and big corporates were sending condolence messages. Thousands attended his funeral and many more lined the streets to bid him farewell. Did he know that he was this loved and celebrated? My response would be an emphatic no. There is a big disconnect between his status in society when he was still alive and the respect he received at death.

Celebrating the dead

One of the easiest things to do is to celebrate the dead. Is this because in doing so, it is not possible anymore to back the tribute or celebration with action which might be a price that many are not willing to pay? The price being, if someone is your hero, would you see them going through hell and turn a blind eye or you will obliged to do something about it?

Normalise celebrating the living

There are people who matter in our lives. People who have or continue to play an important role. People whom when the story of our lives is told, they cannot be left out. People who came through for us when no one else could. People who have inspired us. People who have believed in us. People who kept us going when things were tough. People who gave us chances that we did not deserve. Such people deserve to be celebrated while they are still alive. We need to tell them how much we value them while they can still hear it. We should tell them that they matter. If it is within our power to do things for them, let us do so now. Of what good is celebrating a person when they are dead? Of what good is saying all the nice words and showing love but to a corpse? Of what good is pampering someone at their funeral while they lived like a destitute? Let the celebration at death be a crowning of the love that one was shown when they were still alive.

To the celebrated

Knowing that someone values you is a good thing. There is nothing as fulfilling as being told that you made a difference is another person's life or that you are an inspiration. Who knows, maybe such words are exactly what they need to draw inner strength to conquer their own battles.

So what are you waiting for? Go on, celebrate those heroes in your life, why wait for them to die first?