My word: Call a friend, find out how things are

About two weeks ago, on June 21, the sun was directly overhead the Tropic of Cancer. This means residents of Mexico, the Bahamas, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, India and southern China were welcoming the beginning of summer while we down here near the equator were shivering through our coldest season.

By September, we who dread the cold weather will be a little bit better off as the sun will be directly overhead the equator as it makes its way to the Tropic of Capricorn where it will be directly overhead on December 21. By then, those in the northern hemisphere will have to endure the chills while those in the southern hemisphere will have a break from the cold.

I like to think of seasons as a reminder that we all can’t have it great all the time. While one person has a great season in life, another is going through a particularly difficult time. It’s also a reminder that we’re not all the same.

While one person dreads winter and doesn’t mind sweating in warmer weather, another will welcome the chilly weather and cannot stand the heat of the sun.

What a boring world it would be if human beings were all the same. So instead of killing each other over our differences, shouldn’t we be appreciating them instead? A different opinion, sense of style, religious belief or cultural preference should be a breath of fresh air and not a reason to start a war.

But let’s face it. Even our lives together as human beings cannot always be sunny. There will be times we will disagree and ‘agree to disagree’. Just like the weather shapes land by melting glaciers and sending rain to create rivers and gulleys, our ups and downs as human beings are what give life its beautiful landscape.

Reach out to others in their low season and hopefully, they will be there for you when it’s your turn.

Christine Koech, Editor, Eve