On his 70th Birthday, Daddy wrote the following for his birthday party:

TESTAMENT: ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF HELP OF ALL

God’s signature
Is on the whole
Of nature.
All creatures
Are love letters
From God
To us.
--- Ernesto Cardinal
[Springs of Peace. Search Press, London]


The Lord has been very kind to me.

I have been extraordinarily lucky in:

• My parents and ancestors: for a manageable set of genes, empathetic upbringing and disciplining (not always very successful), and unbounded sacrifices;
• My accommodating wife and family, Mildred, Kwamina, Cyril and Efua Ofori, and Kofi, and grandchildren Kevin and Kyle, in-laws and extended family and co-tenants;
• My friends, too many to list, some away, some absent, some yet to be made;
• My teachers, unbelievably kind, great inspiring exemplars of teaching, research, writing, hard work, and use of the gift of imagination;
• My pupils, some educating me in reverse, with surprises of academic excellence and performance;
• My colleagues at work, on management boards, in consultancy teams, workshops, in Ghana and outside: kind, cooperative, willing to do far more than required;
• Many personnel, ready with service with a smile and kindness, often going the extra mile.

The privileges you have bestowed on me and my family are just far more than we can ever repay – they are simply invaluable.

To all of you, we (my family and I) owe a world of gratitude for our continuing happiness and wellbeing.

May God bless you all.

[E. Laing, Written on 70th Birthday]