TOPIC TODAY: Are You Guarding a Life You Don't Own? We are born by others.Named by others.You’ll be buried by others.Yet we clutch “mine” like it’s permanent.When did boundaries become an excuse for rudeness? or pride masquerading as self-protection?

SCENE: Jide’s House. The sun is setting.

​JIDE (Looking at the group):

​I was thinking about how much we brag about "Self-Made" success. But if you look at it, your birth was handled by others. Your name was given by others. Your first bath was done by others. And when you leave earth, your last bath will be done by others.

​NNE (Sipping juice):

​Omo, that’s dark for a Friday. But true. We spend practically all our time building "Main Character Energy," forgetting that we can’t even bury ourselves.

​JENNIFER:

​It goes deeper. Think about your "priced possessions." All you have fought others over, including your riches... the moment you are pronounced dead, they aren't yours. They are "shared by others." Your funeral, your grave, the casket—all carried by others.

​OLA (Grumbling):

​So what? Because I’m going to die, I shouldn't own things? Or, should just let people walk over me?

​ELDER EPHRAIM (Leaning forward):

​No, Ola. The point is that we fight, quarrel, and lie for things that are just "on loan." We act rude to people and call it "speaking our mind." We lock ourselves away and call it "boundaries," when really we are just being selfish. We waste the short time we have being "pretentious" about a life we don't even own.

​EOO (Softly):

​We live our "YOLO" life in a prison of suspicion and self policing. We are jealous of others, we police ourselves so we don't look "weak," "judged," and we deny ourselves the magic of a miracle because we want to stay "righteous."

​JIDE (Satirically):

​Exactly. We spend so much energy trying to prove we are "better, richer, or more powerful" than the person sitting next to us. But in the end, the person you were rude to might be the one digging your grave. The person you were jealous of might be the one carrying your casket.

​NNE:

​It makes our pride look really stupid, doesn't it? Like a tenant acting like he owns the building when the landlord is standing right behind him with the eviction notice.

​JENNIFER:

​So, if everything belongs to "others" eventually, why not invest in those others now? Forgive freely. Love generously. If you make peace with yourself and others, you drop the burden of anger. Anger is heavy, and life is too short to be a beast of burden.

​ELDER EPHRAIM:

​So, in summary learn to live simply. Sensibly. Don't let your "code" be one of ego. Let it be kindness. When they share your clothes and riches after you're gone, let the only thing they can’t divide be the love you left behind.

​EOO:

​Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it’s thinking of yourself less. 2026 is too beautiful for pretence or jealousy.

​OLA (Quietly, after a long silence):

​Fine. I’ll call my brother. We haven't spoken since Christmas because of that an issue we disagreed on.

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