No. 27 - Our Royalty

Sometimes as we perform an effort, we are made intimately aware of ourselves as the deed is done. Sometimes we can see ourselves in the act of giving in ways that resonate at a spiritual level, and give us tangible proof of our connectedness to the essence of our collective commonality. Sometimes we can give of self to others, and the giving is received in such a way that all doubt about who and what we are dissipates into nothingness. It is at these moments we are closest to our ancestral past and all the future greatness our culture has to offer.

This week has been profound and inspiring in ways that are difficult to articulate. I am feeling a sense of ecstasy and triumph and it is most appealing. My Spirit is rejoicing and my head is humbly bowed to the brilliant greatness of the moment. I breathe a sigh of relief to stabilize myself on this Earthly plane because I have so much to be thankful for.

All too often we do not take time to allow ourselves to experience the love, warmth and caring of those who are dear to us. We are so caught up in our myriad pursuits that we seldom celebrate having the very things we seek. We have allowed material possessions, academic “gains” or selfish rationalizations to become surrogate and subjugate to the important issues in life.

It is raining this week; the waters are flowing in the streets of Oakland and throughout the region. The chilly air is disconcerting to many and causes us to dash about in haste, in our attempts to avoid the wetness. I think, just as is the case for every season, this is a beautiful time. In the midst of what many detest or hold in great disdain, I find myself feeling an overwhelming sense of love and connectedness to so much around me.

Just what is it that causes me to have this experience? How can I – or anyone else, for that matter – even think there’s something beautiful about this weather? What kind of happy juice have I been drinking?

My Mother and Father are in town and we have spent time together after so many years of not seeing one another.

My interaction with them is most humbling and rewarding. I am caused to remember my upbringing in a very real way, and to demonstrate respect and honor to these, my parents, who have loved me for so many years. I can see in them an easy concern and caring for me. I hear the deep love and affection in their voice as they subtly probe to discover if I’m truly okay. I can feel the natural, robust, steadfast, and complete compassion and support they have for me as I continue to embark upon this journey called life. It is as though I can touch the very source of my origination at a Spiritual level… as though our cores are magnets that pull tightly together as soon as we are in the same vicinity.

Throughout the course of our time together I have been aware of how deeply I do love and care for them both, and how they love and care for me. It is the true essence of family and support. It is a matter of respect and adoration smothered over with years of history and a mind full of guidance. It is the strength of conviction to inspire me to always believe in myself and to know I am never alone. It is the looking at the two and remembering that all the lessons I have learned have provided my foundation as a man, a father, a son, a partner, and a human being. And it is the knowing that their years of meaningful discourse with me (as we sat on the porch in the Summer heat of Georgia or as we all gathered at the dinner table with cousins from Philly) have shaped my regard for my community.

I have often wondered what it was about humanity that requires there to be such a thing called royalty. One reads about or sees royalty in the media yet rarely comprehends the implications of such a word. Over the years I’ve read a hundred books on Our Black Royalty from days long gone yet rarely could I point the finger at Black Royalty in modern times. Where were the examples of respect and admiration to the degree that we could represent and recognize Our Royalty?

Today, the question has been answered. Today I came to understand and see the tangible proof that we do indeed have Our Royalty in our midst and it is quite alive and well.

I open the door for my Mother and Father because they deserve it. They have opened the door for me a million times as I grew and developed, and they held my hand and comforted me when I was sick. I care enough to make certain they are comfortable and have the things they need while they visit because they have cared for me even before I was aware of the concept of caring, as a child. I respect and honor them because it was on the backs and blood of their labor and sacrifice that this country became the power that it is, and that I was able to eat and sleep and live as I grew up.

And I rest assured in my knowing that my parents – and your parents – have quietly and steadfastly set the example for all to see the profound truth of the matter…

They are Our Royalty.

And we ought to always take pride and joy in treating them as such.