Let us count our blessings

It’s been a long time since I sang and taught this song ‘’Count your blessings, name them one by one’’. I recall the last time was in 1957 in the course of the independence celebration. I was a spritely 24-year-old teacher, bursting with anti-imperialist patriotic enthusiasm. This was one of the songs we sang as we marched purposefully along. Read the words.

‘’When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed

When you are discouraged thinking all is lost

Count your many blessings, name them one by one

And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.”

Between 1957 and 2015 is a long stretch; so is 24 years and 81 years. So how and why did ‘’Count your Blessings’’ hit my thoughts as I was watching the Independence Day parade at the Blackstar Square the other day?

Was it because of the innovative magnificence of the parade? Was it the spectacular display of the helicopter operations? Was it the splendour of the policewomen motor riders? Wa