I observed something this past weekend that really caught my attention. I was returning from my adventurous weekend with the elephants when our driver, Ravi, turned down this back alley. The alley was aligned with a series of overcrowded metal tin shacks surrounded by trash and mud. I stared out of the window as flashbacks of Nairobi came to my mind. Suddenly, I saw something that made my head tilt as I quickly sat erect. There they were: a mother and her small daughter. The child sat between the mother's legs as she combed the young girl's hair and proceeded to form two ponytails. The mother held a gentle earnest look as the young girl's mouth slowly moved as I imagined her quietly singing to herself. This image was so powerful to me.
Memories of my childhood came flooding back to me. There I was: hot and restless sitting between my mother's leg. Wanting to touch my hair to see how much longer we had to go, yet, afraid of the brown brush that may pop my knuckles. I was tired as I laid my head on her thick thighs to rest. There in between my mother's legs, I felt safe and secure. My heart smiled as I realized that these mothers, like my own, were able to create a sense of beauty and love in a world filled with hopelessness and despair.
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