Do you ever look at a person's eyes and see a whole history? I look at this woman and I see such a rich story in her eyes. I wonder what she has seen in her lifetime, what she has suffered, what story she could tell if given the opportunity. I wonder what I could learn from her and imagine there is much. I wonder what her favourite song is, what her greatest joy is, how many children she has. I wonder if she can give me tips on how to make good pap and gravy, and what her childhood dreams were.I wonder if she knows how precious she is, and that the Creator of the Universe knows her name and cares about her deeply.
3 comments:
This is probably one of the things I miss most about South Africa. I did a lot of short-term outreach work in Mpumalanga in college, and the people's stories were both uplifting and heartbreaking at the same time. The people and their stories changed my life, and I take that with me everywhere I go.
Have you read "Country of my skull" by Antjie Krog? It's a book about the Truth & Reconciliation Commision. It's a gutwrenching read, but well worth it for its honest, hard look at South African history...
I haven't read Antjie Krog yet, but I've seen that book many times. I read so many books about South Africa last year and cried through half of them, that I stopped for a few months. I did read one other book on the TRC, but maybe I should read this one? Antjie Krog is such a respected author.
Yeah I'm a huge fan of her writing. It's not an easy book though. It's brutally honest and I personally think it's an absolute must-read - but not for the feint of heart...
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