I had to take my kid brother to task on the art of thanksgiving and acknowledging receipt..... Not that he forgot to say 'thank you' when I sent what he requested but the fact that he didn't even bother to bring it to my attention that he had received it. His excuse was that he had been very very busy.

I told him that I was also quite busy and yet I found the time and the money to do what I did and so a simple acknowledgement of receipt pales in comparison to what I had to go through to get the item to Ghana.

For some reason, many people in Ghana think things come easy for us; they are the ones suffering, therefore, they have every excuse in the world to be lax, and to remain so to the end. I mention my brother as an example here but I have been very very "hot" and bothered a few times when people back home have consistently refused to acknowledge receipt of whatever was sent, let alone to say thank you.

Guess what? I usually send a card...birthdays or otherwise with a little token enclosed. Onetime, I sent a card and I don't know how the people at the Post Office were able to steal it but the card arrived without the token. Sure enough, I got an e-mail saying that the card somehow had lost its content. Being sure I had included something, I insisted that the card be checked again since it contained several folds.

The surprising thing about this whole saga was, the e-mails and replies were prompt and to the point assuring me that the card had lost its contents. Needless to say, I was left with mixed feelings....angry that the content was lost. I was also angry at the new surprisingly good communication system. People can ask very quickly and then... dziin (quiet) when you send the request. As3m paa!!!

I have made people back home aware on several occasions that it is often harder on the person sending an item than it is on the one merely acknowledging receipt.....and whether they believe it or not I don't know. Some of us are actually waaaay busier than they are. Yet, we find time to do certain things and the least they can do, even if not to say thanks, is to make one know that they have received the item. My pleas continue to fall on deaf ears.

Still wondering why? Jesus said: "Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?" (FK)

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