Inspiring Future Leaders of Liberia pay Courtesy  Visit on  Amos C. Sawyer College Dean

Friday, August 25, 2023 will soon not be forgotten because of the lasting impression of history associated with the historic day. Precisely, 3:00PM this historical day became one of the greatest movements and best glowing and mind warming movements of my five years of dedicated and unblemished services as Dean of Amos C. Sawyer College of Social Sciences and Humanities (formerly Liberia College) of the University of Liberia.

This historical Friday’s visit at my UL Office in Fendall by inspiring nation’s future leaders (young kids) to explore the University community and enrich their knowledge, lives and figure out what they’d want to do when the time comes to head to college, was one of my great movements and compliments in the office, and to interact with great and distinguished people. The visit which shall forever live on my mind, is well cherished and means everything valuable to me of which I really appreciate the young kids distinguishedfuture keaders of Liberia.

The kids, some of Liberia’s finest future leaders in many spheres of disciplines, about 50 with the ages ranging from 8-16 in 4th-12th grades, were brought to my office by a local NGO YES Liberia. I was so pleased that these future leaders have chosen my office for their college engagement early on; coupled with sharing experience, and taking in words of motivation and inspiration.   Indeed, in them, I saw President, Vice President, Minister, Senator, Chief Justice, Lawyer, Manager, Accountant,  Preacher, professor, diplomat, flight pilot, economist, administrator, lawmaker, medical doctor, engineer, etc.

Interestingly, the youngest was about 10 year old and was selected by the other kids to express their appreciation for the warmest welcome given them at my office. Speaking on behalf of the delegation, he said his name was Abraham Gray and as Providence sanctions upon gracing their magnificent and historic tour. Interestingly, Abraham Gray is the name of my late father, so a personified father indeed visited his son…what a coincidence, joyously proclaims.

My dad was a big part of his family life, and we try to honor him by living with passion and purpose that he taught us. I feel blessed that my father who departed the world about 27 years ago came back with others for a visit.

My father Abraham Gray use to  always sacrificed himself to support his family and to him, family was everything. It was one of the most endearing parts of his character; his commitment to his loved ones showed in every interaction, and he was always putting us first, even if it meant attending to his own needs second. Since then and over the years, I learned many hard life lessons from our dad, some of them planned, many unintentional. Some of the most valuable lessons I learned came from his great example, showing love, be generous, work hard, cherish family, be  committed to duty, lifting people up and enjoy the present because tomorrow isn’t promised.

Unfortunately, our dad was brutally murdered 27 years ago in Harper City–the most painful experience that we ever have to endure. It has been 27 years since he and 26 others great sons of the Kru ethnic group from New Kru Town in Cape Palmas, Harper City, Maryland County got brutally murdered in cold blood by vicious and cruel rebel fighters. Today, his remains still laid at the bottom of the Hoffman River in Harper City with the vivid eyewitness accounts that he and other were tied and thrown alive in the Hoffman River to suffer a painful death.

Today, and always, Mom still continue to feel sad and grief especially on while we have been denied the fatherly love and right to pay respect as a sign to honor his memory on Decoration Day, Special Day in Liberia when love ones and families pay special respect in honoring and mourning  their departed ones. It hurts a lots especially when we are not able to join millions of Liberians to visit the cemetery on this National Decoration Day to honor our Dad memory.

Our Dad memory is a treasure, he is loved beyond words and greatly missed beyond measures. The best father we known is Abraham Gray, since he left us, we have realized that in grieving, one never heals from the pain of losing a great and best dad. In life we loved him dearly, in death, we do the same.

He’s in our thoughts every day. Dad… gave the ultimate sacrifice; his guidance is not wasted, he prepared us for the future, just as he did for others. We have forgiven those who murdered him brutally in cold blood, although we lived with the pain

Visited 68 times, 1 visit(s) today

Comments are closed.