Honouring those who give

Yesterday I watched the television broadcast of the conferral of National Awards to outstanding Jamaicans. I must admit that it brought tears to my eyes, as I looked at these people who gave because it was the right thing to do. It is such a beautiful sentiment, to honour those who have given years of service to a spectrum of Jamaican life. Most of them are not well known outside of their communities, but their impact is national and indeed global, as they touch and change lives for generations past and to come.

I love in particular the awards to the elderly – to see grey-haired, wrinkled, stooped men and women, some in wheelchairs or with walkers, so proudly accept their awards for decades of service! They still have a pep in their step, a vibrancy and energy that comes from a life of giving. The years melt away and you look at them and wonder if they have been giving since birth, for their energy defies their years.

I am also always touched by those who are awarded for gallantry. These are people who, in a moment, had to make a decision to put their own lives at risk to save others. Many of us are faced with such a situation, but these few actually made the decision to act. There were no post-humous awards this year, as thankfully, those who received awards did not have to make the ultimate sacrifice.

And then there are the presentations to members of the security forces – the Constabulary, Army, Fire Brigade and Correctional Services. These awardees, elegantly clad in their ceremonial dress uniforms, march with vigour and vitality, their backs ramrod straight, salutes crisp and faces resolute with pride.

The ceremony reminds us that giving is indeed blessed. It reminds us that volunteerism and contribution are alive and well, despite what we are led to believe by the cynics among us. And it reminds us that people, at their most fundamental and elemental, are good.