Life is beauty, and beauty is life

As my first month here in Uganda is winding down and my time left here in Uganda is becoming less and less there is a lot that I have been thinking about.

Coming here was a long road, one that was well worth it. I could not be more thrilled to be anywhere else on earth at this point in my life. I am at a time where the experiences I am having are going to shape the rest of my life, rather than waiting too long to try and experience things where my life interferes and shapes what it is I am experiences. This has been by far the greatest life altering experience thus far in my life. I can’t look at a school the same way, or a child, or a mother just doing whatever she has to do to put food on the table. I can’t ever look at a car, or a road, or a telephone the same, my outlook on life has completely been revamped in such a good way. I have only been here four weeks now, and I have six left but I could not be more pleased with what has occurred personally to my during my time here thus far.

I was on my boda-boda the other day on my way to work talking with my driver and suddenly there was a long pause of silence. My boda driver who I later found out his name to be Jeffery asked me, “Why are you here? There is danger looming? Don’t you fear being here?” I had never really stopped to think about it honestly. As I was sitting there with the wind in my hair looking up at the purest blue sky I have ever seen I realized, what do I have to fear? So I answered back, “I don’t know why I don’t fear anything bad happening while I am here. I guess it is because you are driving me to work, laughing, smiling and talking with me. How can I fear when you and all the other people I come into contact are smiling and laughing and living life. Once you stop smiling and laughing, and loving life is when I will become fearful.” He laughed and told me that he hopes he never has to stop smiling and laughing, he is just happy to be alive and because of that fact and that fact alone he must smile. As I continued talking with Jeffery he told me he was 19, my age, and all he wanted to do was go to school and become an electrical technician. My heart sunk, here is a guy who is my age who has seen and experienced things I can’t imagine and all he wants to do is go to school. I have always held my education highly on my priority list, actually it has always been at the top of my list. I know and realize how lucky I am to have received and continue to receive such a great education, however, it made me appreciate all over again just how lucky I am.

Whilst being here I have gained a new love for life. I have a renewed profound appreciation for everyday that I get to wake up. My entire outlook on life has changed, what once seemed important I am realizing is not, and what seemed trivial has gained such a great importance to me. I have done more here than I ever thought I would ever do at this point in my life, or in my life in general. I mean, I killed a chicken, never would I have thought I would do such a thing, but I did it. I wake up in the morning, brush my teeth, get dressed and leave for work…no makeup involved, or brushing my hair even, there is no need to do those things, one because I don’t always do them back in the states, and two there are so many more things I would rather spend time doing while I am here. I am still working on school assessments, and continue to get to know not only DMP program kids on a very personal level but also the non-program kids that are here all the time as well. The relationships I am making, and the effect they are having on my life is astronomical, I can’t properly put it into words.
Life is a beautiful gift and it took this trip for me to fully realize and appreciate it on a level that I didn’t realize I could. Just one look on a woman’s face who has a child on here back, a child walking beside her, while she pushes a bike full of wood, plus a basin full on stuff on her head, it seems strained and pained at first back then her baby laughs or her child does something, and the most beautiful smile comes across her face. Or take a look at the elderly man who has a long walking stick as he walks down the dirt path where dust from cars, trucks, vans and boda’s is being blown in his face; he squints his eyes and blocks his face with his free hand, he looks almost defeated, as your turn around and look at him and he raises the hand that was blocking his face and waves at you with a sincere smile, a sincere smile that says to you, thank you for being here, good luck to you in whatever you do, there is hope for tomorrow because people care. Or look at the child with a potbelly and snot on his face and flies all over him, he walks along down a path in Pabo, his eyes show you that there are things that have occurred to him that you will never know, but you raise your hand and say, Kope di? ( how is life) and he smiles and runs and slaps your hand and says kope, (life is good) These moments in time are what make me remember just how beautiful life is, and just how lucky I am to be in the presence of people who are living it to its fullest and loving every moment of it.

I hope this finds everyone in good health wherever you are reading from, and most importantly I hope this finds you all with a smile on your face and loving and living life, because it is such a beautiful thing.