05/03/2026
"Addunka waxaa kuugu daran...
- nimaad soorta oon kaa sii socon
- iyo nimaad sugeyso oo kuu soo socon."
This is a very deep Somali wisdom (Murti) about human life and human behavior. It speaks about two painful situations that can really exhaust a person.
~The first is "a guest who does not leave." In Somali culture, hospitality is highly valued. A guest is welcomed with honor, food, and care, usually for a few days, sometimes up to a week. But this wisdom is not only about a visitor in the house. It can also mean a person you supported, respected, and carried through hardship with sincerity and humanity. Then, after getting what they needed, they treat you badly. They do not leave, but they also do not stay with goodness, respect, or good manners.
In real life, such a person can become a heavy emotional, social, and even financial burden. In the home, their long stay can also make the family, especially the women, feel uncomfortable and restricted in their own space.
~ The second is "a person you wait for who never arrives." This part touches many areas of life. In Somali rural life, people often depend on one another for survival. If someone is sent to search for rain, good pasture, a valley, or a well, the whole family may wait for that person because their return can mean safety and direction. If that person does not come back, the family may face fear, broken hope, and danger. More broadly, it also means anyone you keep waiting for in life, someone you depend on, hope for, or expect, but who never comes. That kind of waiting can waste your time and leave you in constant worry.
In short, this wisdom reminds us that 'one of the heaviest burdens in life is the wrong person who stays too long, and the right person who never comes.'
