Hey All,
I was trying to think of what to write about, and then it started to rain. Below is a story I experienced today that tested my humility. I hope that this can give you strength when you find yourself tripping over small stones throughout the day to day we all experience.
I tried to do laundry earlier and found myself being frustrated when I couldn't get any suds from the rinso (what I now know is freshener). My younger sister of 16 saw that I was having trouble and decided to teach me how to wash clothes. I don't know what it was specifically; the heat (90°F), the sore feet I had from Mass yesterday, or the feeling of uselessness as I was feeling while being shown how to wash clothes, but I found myself however beginning to feel the drain I had been warned about by the Peace corps staff.
It took a few hours of watching Samurai Champloo and reflecting not only on my adaptations, but the changes my host family has also had to endure. I did however eventually see the light that had brought me here, and laughed at how easily I left myself to the frustrations of those who do not live with passion in their hearts. Being human however we all find ourselves caught up in the small things from time to time, as I did today.
Ironically enough I feel that the audio recording attached to this is the best analogy I have for the flash of rash frustration I felt. I don't expect anyone to listen to it, but if you do you'll most likely stop as soon as you hear the white noise of the rain hitting our metal roof. If you listen closely however, you'll hear the beautiful sounds of my younger sisters here laughing and playing behind the deafening noise of the rain. This too is what experiences of adaptation are like. Sometimes you only hear the rain, but the laughter is the reason we listening.
I pray that you can find the laughter in the frustrations you find yourself in, and that you can laugh when you find yourself caught up in pride as I did today. Until then I'll leave you with this.
"In the intellectual order, the virtue of humility is nothing more nor less than the power of attention."
~Simone Weil
Much love,
~BW
