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Naked Africa

 There are days when I feel quite challenged by things that happen in my life or don’t happen or those unexpected out-of-left-field happenings or those people we all sometimes wish we didn’t have to run into (excepting of course if we were driving a steam roller) but living in Africa keeps me real. 

So when people ask me why I moved back to Africa from Australia, I say this: 

For love 

And beyond that

Maybe living elsewhere for a while helped me understand this place in a different way

It’s not for sissies 

It’s not for naysayers 

There is nothing easy about living here 

It is confronting and it is hard at best and it’s getting harder especially for those who already have so much need

I keep reminding myself always to be kind and not judge the next person because I have not worn their shoes

Nor have I walked barefoot on the scorched earth of Africa

I have not carried water miles from a dirty water point

In two hours time, I will have electricity 

I will eat today. Maybe not like a king but I will eat enough

My bed is dry and warm

I am not alone 

And if you ask me

I will tell you, it is well with me

But my soul is not always settled because 

I cannot always meet the needs of those around me

And mostly, I wish I didn’t have to listen to so many complaints about silly issues from so many very fortunate people who feel they are entitled to this or that 

We are not promised anything

We come into this world naked and we will leave naked 

In a few years we will all be forgotten

What footprints will we leave behind?


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