The
Village- We all have been there physically and metaphorically and for the most
part getting through life lessons navigated by parents, grandparents, siblings,
neighbors, teachers, mentors, leaders and peers has been important and at
times, necessary. These are our people, tribe...our village.
Two
preteens, and a teenager can teach you a lot about how you view the
world. Unconditional kindness and love, contagious laughter, the awe of
something new, a lesson learned and the ability to connect and engage in an
instant with little effort to total strangers in a foreign land. I’m so
thankful for Elle, Xzabia and Jordan. Grateful that us adults saw fit to bring
our future leaders to present day experiences.
An early morning Thanksgiving speech from Xzabia started our day on the right path. The sharing of smiles and “EyeSpy”with Elle lightens any mood and the eagerness of when we can play a game of soccer with the next set of kids from Jordan, all reminds us how to be thankful for the small stuff that make big differences. I’m thankful we have resources to share and the ability to buy and distribute milk, rice and oil to a small village at our half way mark, back to Dakar.
Children
and teens welcomed us as we approached and ushered us to meet Diacounda’s
(Pronounced:Ja-cön-da) Godmother Ndeye. She took pride in introducing family
and friends in her village. Toussaint engaged in a impromptu dance with the
elders, Heather and Denise ask questions on how meals were prepared and Jordan
instantly became a focus for the teenage girls who giggled. Sierra and
Alphonse became fast friends with common interests. Michael and Todd
strategized on how to move continuous resources, while Ndeye gave us all a tour
of the sewing shop in her village. Symone, Courtney and Elle picked fabric
where the ladies made garments and head dresses to sell. We were all in
awe of the quick skill it took to tie each of us in head dresses. It was fun
showing them moff to our loved ones via Skype/FaceTime during our stop at
lunch. Xzabia danced freely in the courtyard as curious children tried to
mirror her moves. The time was short but impactful. The village concept
is very simple. Work, communicate, share, laugh, help, forgive, guide,
learn, love and Pray.
An early morning Thanksgiving speech from Xzabia started our day on the right path. The sharing of smiles and “EyeSpy”with Elle lightens any mood and the eagerness of when we can play a game of soccer with the next set of kids from Jordan, all reminds us how to be thankful for the small stuff that make big differences. I’m thankful we have resources to share and the ability to buy and distribute milk, rice and oil to a small village at our half way mark, back to Dakar.
No comments:
Post a Comment