"You can do anything!" Lupita Nyong'o celebrates her father as he is sworn in as Governor of Kisumu County, Kenya
Professor Nyongo got 261,972 votes, representing 63% of the
total votes cast, ahead of closest challenger and incumbent, Jack
Ranguma in the Kisumu County governorship election.
To celebrate the victory, the Oscar winner penned a letter
to her father, listing the ten things her told her when she was a
little girl. Her post and more photos below...
"Today is the day my father gets sworn in as the Governor
of Kisumu County in Kenya. I thank all those who voted for him and wish
him the very best as he embarks on this new journey of socio-political
representation," she writes
To celebrate this day from afar, I reflect on the 10 Things My Daddy Told Me When I Was A Kid That Gave Me Confidence:
1. You are smart: I took this to mean both that I was
dressed well (We Kenyans say "smart" for "well-dressed"), but also that I
was intelligent. It always made me feel special and valuable.
2. It will be OK: He said this whenever I was sad with the
little burdens of my childhood (a fight with my friends, a broken doll, a
lost favorite piece of clothing). He also said this when I was
concerned with the big burdens of his adulthood (detention without
trial, house arrests, caught in tear gas during violent riots). Daddy
said this to me as he held me close and I always felt a sense of comfort
and security from him. I knew he would do all he could to make my life
safe and that he was doing the same to make the country better for all
of us.
3. You can do anything: Daddy never EVER made me feel
limited by my gender. He supported me when I did things that my society
thought un-ladylike, like whistling, dressing like Kriss Kross, and even
climbing trees in my adulthood. He was my first example of what
feminism looks like on a man.
4. Do whatever you want to do; just do it to excellence:
Dreaming out loud was something he encouraged. He loved listening to my
adventurous and sometimes unrealistic and romantic ideas. He did that
for all of his kids. Together with my mom, my father taught me to dare
to imagine an ideal world and go about making it a reality.
5. Knowledge is power: He ALWAYS reads and he is a walking
example of how the power of an education never comes to an end. He has
taught me that learning is the best way to stay young, beautiful and
relevant. A free mind is stronger than a free body.
6. Show me: My Daddy loves to learn from his children. He
is not afraid to admit what he does not know, and admitting I am
ignorant of things has saved me from a lot of unnecessary embarassment.
Not knowing isn't a crime. Refusing to learn is.
7. Consider the other side: there is always two sides to a
coin. Being able to identify the other side of an argument makes yours
stronger. It also makes you more empathetic.
8. You must stand up for what you believe in: This is a
fundamental lesson from my father. He lives by it. It is why he serves:
To literally make the world a better place. I know I have to do the
same. Good people need to do more to bring balance, because the bad
people sure are busy these days!
9. Very Good! 'A' Minus: This was his way of saying that I
did well, but also jokingly reminding me that there is always room for
improvement. It's about not congratulating yourself too much or berating
yourself either.
10. Daddy loves baby: He has said this to me all my life. A
reminder that he loves me, yes, but also that I will always be his
little girl. It is heartening to remember as life gets more and more
adult, that we all start off with the innocence of a child and the pure
love that comes with it.
Daddy, congratulations! Baby loves Daddy!
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