The Final Call

Handle with care

By Laila Muhammad | Last updated: May 9, 2014 - 6:49:14 PM

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“How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these.” ~George Washington Carver

I’m a seamstress in what little spare time I can find. And like most fashionistas I take great pride in my attire. I invest in good fabric, material, buttons, broaches, headbands, etc. I make sure my eyebrows are neat, my hair is combed, clean and done, and my wardrobe is acceptable.

I believe a lady should look her best at all times.

Her hair groomed, nails manicured, shoes un-scuffed and shined and clothes cleanly pressed. Yes, it takes a little extra time to get ready, but aren’t you worth it? First impressions are usually lasting ones. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not promoting vanity, only taking pride in your appearance.

I’m a frugal person. I don’t just buy an item because it’s on sale or it looks cute. I research, compare and contrast, and if I don’t need it I don’t buy it. Seriously, how many pairs of shoes can a girl have … don’t answer (Smile). I don’t buy items simply because it has a name brand. I can make similar style Vera Wang or Vogue dresses for a fraction of the cost. I refuse to be a slave to trends, debt, and fashion. Whenever I do have extra money, you will catch me at the local fabric store. There is nothing like buying a few yards of fabric and creating a beautiful garment … Just priceless.

This image provided by People magazine shows the cover of its special “World’s Most Beautiful” issue, featuring Lupita Nyong’o. The 31-year-old actress, who won a best supporting actress Oscar for her role in “12 Years a Slave,” tops the magazine’s list, announced April 23. Photo: A/P World Wide photos

So like thousands of women before me, who all have a favorite outfit, a favorite pair of shoes, or a purse that you can’t live without—we neatly place them in our closets after dry cleaning, hang them in garment bags to keep dust away from them, keep them in original packaging, and only bring them out for special occasions. These are the items we refuse to loan out, the ones that we hand wash, or dry clean only, the things that we handle with extreme care. We don’t mix our real jewelry with our costume jewelry, things of value we keep locked away until the perfect time, like aged cheese. Just think about the things you hold dear, heirlooms that were passed down from generation to generation. Your grandmother’s wedding dress that has been in a cedar box for 40 years, your grandfather’s wedding band that sits on the mantel, your mother’s pearls that she let you wear as a teenager to prom. All these items we handle with care.

So how much more valuable is human life?

How do we handle one another? How do we treat people we encounter for the first time? Better yet how do we treat those we are constantly around? Sometimes we take one another for granted. Oft-times we don’t mean to be rude, offensive, or angry towards people, we might just be having a bad day. Sometimes we are just mean. We holler, yell, raise our voices, and talk in condescending tones to those under our care. Be it co-workers we are supervising, classmates, teammates, or your average brother or sister, we can be cruel.

If we say that every time we are looking at the Black man and woman we are looking at god—we have to ask ourselves is this how we would treat the God if we met him? Are we lacking love, patience, and understanding for one another? We have become each other’s judge, jury and prosecutor before the facts have been heard. We are quick to throw stones at those we don’t understand, be it envy, jealousy, or our own insecurities.

In my short life span, I have realized that every person I have ever encountered on a personal level has taught me something. Even if it was throwing me into unchartered waters and forcing me to swim, or a gentle hand giving me advice in complicated situations. We all have something of value to give the world and each other. So I urge us all to practice kindness and sincerity, to be honest with ourselves and others. Let’s look past faults and see  needs. Most people just want to be heard, loved, and understood, and for someone to say, “I appreciate you.” This is how you handle Gods people, with care and love. After all, we are all we have.

May Allah (God) bless us all with the light of understanding, may we be helpers in his cause, and may we all be examples to the world of a civilized society. May we be like Ma’at who was personified as the goddess of truth and justice and live the principles of the ancient Egyptian concept of truth, balance, order, law, morality, and justice, where love, truth and honor are the order of the day. I leave you with the words of Mark Twain who said that, “If we should deal out justice only, in this world, who would escape? No, it is better to be generous, and in the end more profitable, for it gains gratitude for us, and love.”

Laila Muhammad is a Chicago-based writer, videographer and Final Call production assistant.