Sankofa

Adinkra are symbols used in West Africa to pass wisdom from one person to another. They are used in textiles and pottery, in architecture and on signs.  Years ago, before I had any real understanding about emotions, I came across one that really spoke to me.  It is called Sankofa and it is drawn in two different ways:

It means, "Return and pick it up".  It is referring to our history, both cultural and personal.  A movie was made about it, from the perspective of African slaves, here in the United States.  Wikipedia talks about it here:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sankofa_(film)  It's a fantastic film, but probably not for the casual viewer.  For me, Sankofa is a reminder that there is more to me than just what is immediately present.  That I need to continually return to my past and pick up the thread of my being to help me be whole.  I do this purposefully whenever I find myself struggling internally.  It helps me to remember that life has not always been rosy, and there are reasons why I am struggling.  This allows me to be compassionate to myself and things generally get better after that.

If we can all learn to return to our history, we can develop a more complete vision of ourselves.  The whole world, both individually and collectively, would be a better place if we did.