Sankofa Penda

Penda is the kiswhahili word for love. Sankofa is an Akan principle that says there's nothing wrong with going back to fetch that which was forgotten, or to go back and fix it.  It is most commonly symbolized by a bird looking back over it's tail with an egg in its mouth. 

For some, it is interpreted as remaining connected to your source or past. Many people believe the past is best left in the past, but I am in the group that believes the past is our history and the thing that connects us to our ancestors and creator in the present. 

Per UNESCO's booklet on the Pedagogical Use of the General History of Africa: "The concept of SANKOFA is derived from the Akan people of West Africa. The term Sankofa comes from the words "san" (return), "ko" (go), and "fa" (look, seek, and take).

Sankofa teaches us that we must go back to our roots in order to move forward. That is, we should reach back and gather the best of what our past has to teach us, so that we can achieve our full potential as we move forward.

Visually and symbolically Sankofa is expressed as a mythic bird that flies forward while looking backward with an egg (symbolizing the future) in its mouth."

The purpose of this blog is to share the progression/regression/progression of a relationship that began more than 20 years ago, but is only just beginning to get off the ground.

I am currently striving to maintain some level of objectivity.

Another symbol for Sankofa is kind of heart shaped. It often appears on iron gates and security doors.

I actually think this symbol is particularly relevant in that this blog is about reconnecting with someone and starting over again long after the season for that relationship had been thought to have passed.