By David Jordan Jr
The constructing of words from life experiences allows a person to share a unique perspective that can be impactful to the world. The day to day journey turns into months, which turns into years of life lessons. Ahnetha Devis Rambilass has used not only her life but the lives of her loved ones and the lives of those she has seen and encountered in her journey to provide the perfect narrative for her book “Shades Of Life : Beyond the horizon, find yourself.” As a writer and a former educator, Rambilass has won many awards while also being recognized for outstanding efforts in various areas of the arts. Hailing from South Africa, her writings enable the reader to see not only a different view of life but the simple intricacies which make the world go round. Love, life, inspiration, hope, and positivity are the foundation of life and the blueprint of Rambilass’s words. Forty-two different poems are uniquely inspirational to the reader. “Dad” and “Thank God For Mum” are two poems that totally resonated with me as I read them. As a person that has been blessed with two loving, giving and inspirational parents, the words to these two poems touched not only my soul but my memories of each point in my life where my parents have provided me with whatever it was that I needed, unbeknownst to their knowledge. “First to rise and last to rest,” is seemingly protocol for any mother as they not only maintain the smoothness of a household but also their personal lives which could be filled with work, school and simply being a mother. “Even now my achievements soothe him with pride” are words (from the poem “Dad”) that echo the common sentiment “a proud dad.” Images accompanying each poem create the mind space to allow Rambilass’s words to take you on a journey to a specific instance, person or time in your life or somebody’s else’s life. The power of words influences the lives which we live. Fueling the soul with positivity, hope, love and inspiration propel us all to our best living. “Shades Of Life” is a tool to reiterate how we all can be a light to the world.
