The trees will miss you.

The trees in Kenya are crying; the trees in Africa and around the world are sobbing. One of their keepers is gone. Their key preserver has left them and will be meeting mother earth.

Prof. Wangari Maathai, the renowned environmentalist, tree-planter and Africa’s first woman Nobel Laureate is gone. Her long-fought battle with cancer ended her breath this morning.

Her courageous and visionary spirit as well as her passion for a tree-filled world will be missed. She has done her bit, but will her bit continue to save the trees.

In the place of Oxygen, I see fear and anxiety oozing out of the stomata and lenticels of trees. Will they live again? Will their beauty and grandeur not be exchanged for shillings and dollars by environmental merchants?

Adieu says the oak, the baobao, the cypress and the millions of trees around the world. Adieu says the millions of creatures that find their abode in and around the trees.

We wished you could still be here with us for a little longer they all chorused. We will miss you they all echoed.

As we remember today.

Today makes it a decade since the horror event of 9/11 happened and all around the world at this period, there is an ugly reminiscence of how several yet-to-be-fulfilled dreams were shattered along with the World Trade Centre in New York.

In the US and across the globe, there is a wound which has been opened again today - a wound which the memories of the lost of loved ones and family members bring; a wound which has its root causes in the wicked acts of men to men.

Those who died are not coming back but the reason behind the loss of their lives is still with us – wickedness and terror.

As we remember today, the word of Edmund Burke comes to mind that ‘evil prevails when good men do nothing.’

More than anything else, this year’s 9/11 reminds us of our collective responsibilities to stamp out evil behaviours wherever they exist. We are once again called to collectively stand against men whose wicked and ungodly acts keep others in pain. We are asked to jointly bring down every wall of oppression, aggression and subjugation. Our voices must be lent towards restoring hope, comfort and sanity to our world.

As we remember today, we should live and let others also live. We should imbibe the virtues of tolerance and respect for each other. We should work towards restoring the dignity of the human soul as bestowed by God.