The Weight That Shapes Us

Growing up, carrying corn from the farm was not just work, it was a rite of passage. When harvest came, it was normal to see boys with heavy bags of maize balanced on their heads, and the girls with woven baskets tied to their backs. My mother, and many mothers like her, would climb the steep hills of Ebalaboh with such strength that even mountains seemed small before them. At that time, we didn’t call it struggle, we called it life. And in that life, we learned something priceless: that every load, no matter how heavy, is lighter when carried with purpose. The farm taught us discipline. The hills taught us endurance. The harvest taught us gratitude. It wasn’t just about maize, it was about character. It was about learning that the sweat of today becomes the food of tomorrow. And here lies the lesson for every young person today: the weight you carry now, whether in studies, work, or challenges, is shaping you for something greater. Don’t despise your load. Don’t give up halfway. Because just like those harvests, your effort will one day feed Nations, through your ideas, your work, your service. What we carried on our heads, we now carry in our hearts: the wisdom that nothing is wasted when done with purpose.