My daughter has a new friend, she is from a far off place where life is so different. They are the same age, but their 14 years of life on earth have been worlds apart.
Grace is from Uganda and has been brought here for a better education and a chance to make her life what it should be – full of hope and promise and opportunity. Normally at home she would be sold, married off or forced to work at this age. Education would be over for her.
Good fortune has found her. And us because she has come into our lives.
We spent the other night sharing stories with her- prey predator games at a camp my daughter had just returned from (this is strange that we play this as a game and with her it has been a way life), zip lining for adventure (what if ‘adventure’ was another word for trying to save your life?And it was not anything about fun or thrill?) and girls they know who don’t eat. (So you have much to eat but choose to starve?). Honestly, everything that came out of our mouths was ridiculous.
She got into my car- my somewhat dirty nothing van after we all had dinner together and she said in her evolving english- “I love your car”. I laughed and grabbed her arm. She has a point. It works and for much of the world- it is a luxury.
I said “I am so impressed with you, Grace.”
She did not understand.
I could not find the words to cover what I was feeling.
“You are so BIG to me” came out of my mouth
She made a quizzical face .
I had tears in my eyes. “Grace you are beautiful and amazing.”
She and her siblings watched her father be killed. And yet her hope endures and her spirit is strong.
She said ” In my village where I lived we slept in the bush because we could hide there.”
“People are free here, Grace and that is a wonderful thing. People have problems everywhere, none that quite compare to some of what you have shared, but here we are very free”
The whole planet was spinning now and I was sitting, floating with her on top of it.
We hugged, she said good night and thank you and got out of the car.
She flashed her smile.
I watched her walk away. My eyes were stinging.