Nma Agada: The Thing Around Your Ankle

I love anklets –  those adorable beads or chains worn around the ankles. I especially love those without charms; you know, simple and just gorgeous. I own an entwined piece in sterling silver or something and whenever I have it on- for whatever reason- I feel like there’s one more special thing going on with me. This little piece of information is the whole point.

I love it when a woman can be comfortable enough to enjoy little things that make her feel beautiful without hurting herself or anyone else. A healthy dose of expression of freedom over something as little as wearing natural hair or black lipstick or taking up ballet every Wednesday night can be more empowering than people outside your “self” would understand.

Forget all the judgment coming your way for a minute; it doesn’t matter that the man in the car next to yours is calling you a mule as long as you’re moving in the right direction.

So, find the little harmless things that make you feel good and do them without being sorry because in the end, you will only be able to beat your chest about what you’ve done for yourself.

I love it when a woman can own something solely hers and be happy making it work. I own things more vital than anklets but I chose this analogy to show that sometimes, the things that matter to people are the little things that you cannot relate to. And that’s okay, if they do not hurt you or themselves. It could be a business, a dog, something earned by reason of your talent, a song…Just own it.

Forget that I am watching you, talking about how it’s not meant for you or how your kids may wake up tomorrow looking like minions because you have pretty yellow sunflowers planted all over your yard. Just own something and love yourself more for that.

I love when a woman knows when to listen. I like to think that I do. I am not asking you to be stubborn or not to take in constructive criticism. I’m just saying that you should train yourself to the level where you’re able to separate positive criticism from derogatory statements. Know when to be yourself without any care, when to ignore glares and whispers and when to tell people to shut up. Yes! You must guard your heart and what gets into you especially as it affects how you see yourself. You cannot let people tell you that you’re loose and insane just because you like your hair red. I have heard people say a lot of not-so-nice stuff about wearing jewellery anywhere but on the ear lobes, about wearing makeup, about career women, about women who think they can outsource the cooking and cleaning but ultimately, it is my prerogative to choose what to listen to.

I love when women can make good, that part of themselves that has survived in grime, been ridiculed and perhaps are worth forgetting. It is refreshing to heal, conceal and adorn one’s self,  despite the knowing that people who can recognise that part of you are still around.

The feet are probably one of the dirtiest parts of the body given that they are almost always in touch with the ground but when I look down at my anklet, all I see is a beautiful adornment that sits beautifully on my skin, accentuating my clear legs. That is how every woman should feel about parts of themselves. For a single mom, the thing around your ankle may be the child who’s the product of the worst moments of your life. You need to see the kid as something precious that redefines that part of you. She should be all that matters each time you walk down memory lane and will become the reason for your betterment. I mean, the fact that my anklet would draw more attention to my legs will cause me to take better care of my feet. So let some part of your story be the reason you wanna get better even if the rest of us don’t see why.

I love it when women can read the lines on their palms knowing that they are different even though they have common grounds with others. The fact that you choose not to be married doesn’t mean that you must conform to whatever mold the society has created for such women. The fact that you like a glass of wine now and again doesn’t make you the same with someone who never drops a bottle. Consider yourself in the light of your faith and ideals and realities and not in the light of the realities of people who you think may be like you just because they also think that it is okay to do some of what you do. There are so many people who love to wear anklets but in being in the midst of these people, I must remember that we all do these things for different reasons.

The thing around your ankle should not be a shackle, a source of pain, a mark of shame. I am saying that if overindulgence sets in or even indulgence to the point where you lose an aspect of wellness, then it is definitely not what I’m referring to. I am referring to not what you are forced to do or know or own but what you have chosen to embrace because within yourself, you can feel an acceleration each time you put it to work. When you find it, don’t lose it. Don’t give up because we are blind to the revelation you have of it. Enjoy the essence of being yourself, having unique cravings, dreaming and realising your dreams, clothing yourself with things that you’d want to be remembered for and not being sorry all the time because the rest of the world is yet to understand how you function.

Maybe it’s high time you thought about something to wear around your ankle or perhaps your heart.

Photo Credit: Dreamstime