One year ago I was gearing up to participate in the Davis Moon Project's first group mission trip. When the team met in Washington, DC, to board our direct flight to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, we all knew this would be an adventure of a lifetime, but none of us knew how the trip would affect us.
Spending my birthday in Ethiopia was a special treat in itself, yet as the day unfolded it truly was one for the memoirs (see post below). That evening, I placed an elephant-hair bracelet purchased in Addis on my right wrist. When I returned back to the States, I contemplated taking it off, but didn't. At a formal event in November, I contemplated taking it off, but didn't. I've ruined numerous dresses, shirts and jackets as a result of the bracelet's roughly cut ends catching on the fabric. I've created pulls in sweaters, scarves and towels - yet never removed it.
I look down at my wrist every day, several times a day, and remember the smiling faces of children who had so few worldly possessions and so much love in their heart. I remember shoeless, hungry kids who considered a hug from me the best moment of their day or week, perhaps the best moment of their lifetime. I remember the genuine connection I experienced with several Ethiopians that week - and their dark, beautiful eyes looking deeply into mine while we shared a smile.
The bracelet has served as a daily reminder of the fortunate circumstances I find myself in, giving me perspective when day-to-day frustrations come calling. I no longer need the bracelet to remind me and plan to unceremoniously remove it from my wrist next week, though I will forever cherish the immediate love those children gave and the friendly, welcoming people of Ethiopia.
I still struggle with the ability of one person to have an impact where there is such vast need. Then I think back to my own encounters - a single brunch discussion or chance meeting on an airplane - where one conversation forever changed my path in life.
Four years ago Sonja and I were chatting about her and Rob embarking on this "little project to give back in their own way," which has already improved the lives of so many here in the States and abroad, and I think about a quote from Gandhi: Be the change that you wish to see in the world. Yes. One person, one act of kindness, one trip to Ethiopia, one book at a time, any one of us can make a difference.
As I send out invites to our fundraiser in October, I'm testing the embedded links I added to the emails and ended up re-reading this post.
ReplyDeleteInteresting that I said 'unceremoniously' in this post because the removal of the bracelet ended up quite ceremonious....
On the day of my birthday, but not uncommon here in DC, I encountered a native Ethiopian. I knew immediately from those beautiful almond-shaped eyes that he was Ethiopian, but I tested him by greeting him with 'ten-ayist-ah-ling' the formal version of 'hello'. He gave me a big grin and that was all I needed. I pointed to the bracelet and asked if that was familiar to him; he described it as something commonly seen in Addis. As I recounted the tale of our group's journey one year ago, tears started to stream down his cheek. He thanked me several times and kept calling me "ma'am". I told him that I had decided to take the bracelet off of my wrist for the first time in a year and asked if he would do the honors. Now we were both crying. Such a sweet moment -- a connection between two strangers with seemingly nothing in common yet there we were, in the middle of the grocery store giving each other a big ol' hug. Now THAT'S ceremony if I ever saw it!