Saturday, February 26, 2011

I learned...

I learned how to just go with it.
I learned that nothing, not anything, can prepare you for a child's death.
I learned how to make friends who I can't talk to.
I learned that Ritz crackers are the key to getting a baby's handprints.
I learned how important it is to feel understood.
I learned to value the simplest of traditions.
I learned about sharing things, stories, and homes.
I learned that sometimes it is the quiet moments tthat mean the most.
I learned what it feels like to be a divided person.
I learned that children drinking porridge is possibly the cutest thing ever.
I learned how to make little nice things into big deals.
I learned how to say goodnight to a Kenyan child.
I learned what it feels like to feel totally comfotable in another culture.
I learned that it's all about finding happy moments.
I learned that I have the ggreat privilege of being treated fairly as a girl.
I learned that family doesn't have to mean having two paretns.
I learned that saying no can be a good thing.
I learned what it feels like to be a minority.
I learned how to do laundry with my hands.
I learned how to bargain.
I learned how to respect other's beliefs and culture while still holding on to my own.
I learned about not giving up.
I learned what hard work means.
I learned that knowing one's name is a powerful thing.
I learned how to get on the back of a piki-piki in a skirt.
I learned that some moments, both good and bad, are so painful that they seem impossibly real.
I learned that we all should be less focused on Africa's struggles, and more focused on their unmatched resilience.
I learned that it might not be about the grades you make, but about how much you loe your education.
I learned how to make little nice things into big deals.
I learned that I am both a tiny and large portion of this world.
I learned how to appreciate the things I worked for, like clean laundry or charcoal to cook with.
I learned how it feels to be treated differently because of my gender and race.
I learned about the importance of education.
I learned about seeing situations and beliefs from different viewpoints.
I learned about turning trash into opportunity.
I learned about sticking to promises.
I learned how to make ugali.
I learned about feeling guilty for something you had no control over.
I learned that sometimes it's best not to look at the big picture.
I learned how to open a soda at Nakumatt.
I learned that it is possible to get annoyed with cute, African babies.
I learned what it means to be a role model.
I learned about working hard and accomplishing little.
I learned that reall small actions can mean much more than I expected.
I learned how lucky I am to have my sister.
I learned how to say "I'm going to beat you" in Swahili.
I learned that a child dancing just might be the greatest sight in the world.
I learned how to do the Kenyan handshake.
I learnd how to take out a weave.
I learned that sick children are not to be feared, but are to be loved.
I learned how to give impromptu speeches and introductions.
I learned that it's not crazy to have family on both sides of thew rold.
I learned how to plan for Kenyan time, but also how not to waste it.
I learned that dance parties are the universal key to happiness.
I learned how to be open to new friends, new cultures, and new experiences.
I learned how others view the U.S. and how I view it myself.
I learned that sometimes the best thing you can do for a child is to simply hold them in your arms.
I learned that it's important not to forget faces; remembering somone is the highest compliment.
I learned how to sneakily and polietly avoid eating enough food to feed a small country at every meal.
I learned about what makes a family.
I learnd that a child's death isn't about how I handle it, but solely about the child.
I learnd that pure happiness can be found anywhere -- in a dance hall, on a muddy road, in a shady tree house.
I learned that the most heroic people are those who keep children from feeling alone.
I learnd about feeling guilty for something you had no control over.
I learned about what it means to give up your life to help others.
I learned that really small actions can mean much more than I expected.
I learned that I am both a tiny and large portion of this world.
I learned what it feels like to be helpless.