Abby, in green dress with ‘family’
Tonight Pat and I attended a ‘pinning’ service for our African niece, Abby. This is a ritual when one becomes officially a nurse. The MC was going to tell us the history of the ‘pinning’ ceremony but didn’t. But the ritual spoke for itself as each new nurse received an official nurse’s pin and was pinned by a family member, mother, wife, husband, or sister.
My niece came to the USA with her mother and another teenage girl a number of years ago during the terrible civil war in Sierra Leone. The civil war in Sierra Leone was all about diamonds. Outside interest supporting both sides fought each other viciously until the diamonds were gone, many were killed or maimed and the country was thrown into extreme poverty and repair.
Right from the beginning the two girls, thier family and friends, started to call my wife and I “Auntie” and “Uncle”. In many African countries young people call adults ‘auntie and ‘uncle’ as sign of respect. It also comes from the deep believe developed in village life that we are all connected as one family. We accepted the titles and now are regularly call this way by persons from Africa and their children.
Another African custom we enjoy is that whenever there is a special event, birthday, wedding, graduation is a time for a major party. The event always starts much latter than schedule but continues well into the night. Everyone brings food and everyone leaves with food. There is lots of dancing and rejoicing.
It took Abby many years after high school to graduate as a nurse. She switched schools a few times, got married, had a child, and worked in various hospitals. However, tonight she made it as nurse and was officially pinned by her mother with her son looking on. Friends and family from the African community in Milwaukee attended the pinning. The celebration party will be in a few weeks.
The ‘pinning’ was an American tradition of unknown origin, but for us it was celebrated African style.
Comments
(:commentboxchrono:)