Human connections… the foxes in my life…

My small philosopher…

Recently, I had one of the most amazing conversations with my adolecent daughter about how we connect with people.  She had been reading the “Little Prince” again!!… (We have 3 copies in 3 languages, gift from a dear friend, he said our children will need them, as they will probably speak all of them at one point… the gift came 20 years ago) She was making reference to the fox, how there are so many foxes in the world, but there is that special one with whom you connect, and that connection is forever, no matter the space or the time.  In her conversation, she remarked that in every place we had lived her feelings of belonging are always linked to those individual foxes along the way.

Her words brought me to think about my own foxes, and how my life has been defined by those people with whom I felt that connection with.  I left my country as an adolescent, and my life journey has taken me to unbelievable places, millions of  pictures…  and as much as I try to remember any specific place… I realise that my most vivid memories are those linked to people that made those moments special…  As a child, as an adolescent, I remember being criticised by my parents and siblings for the intensity and loyalty to my human connections!!  I must have been intense!!  No fault of my own!!

I learned from the best…

My mother, an 85-year-old woman, was honoured this year for her life achievements, always socially engaged, trying to make the difference, and until this day, still active.  All her children were asked to write something to be read in public that day… here a small part of what I wrote.

My mama sitting in the middle…

My beautiful mama.

“When my mom told me that she had been granted this honour; the first thing that came to my mind was that she would say “she doesn’t deserve it” … and that is exactly what she told me. I agree with her; she deserves much more than a life achievement award, she is a wonderful human being. When I was a teenager, as a good teenager, I often question my mother because she always had time to stop and give a word of encouragement to anyone who crossed her path… if she felt that person was in need. No matter where we were standing. As if that was not enough, she did it with a great sense of humour.  So, you can imagine me, an embarrassed teenager with a mother who went through life cracking jokes and laughing with random strangers. Whoever has had the good fortune to cross my mom’s path, not only gets strengthened by her spirit and by the beautiful words she always has to offer, but she also leaves you laughing your head off. And I am sure that more than one person here today will identify with my words.”

She is a modern South American granny, with a smart phone, sending messages and calling her grandchildren, keeping those connections alive, and building life memories for them.

Old – New friends…

Recently I had one of the most amazing weekends with two old friends…  we met in Central America; where we were all living at the time with our young families… circumstances brought us together.  16 years later, we were laughing like the first day, a bit wiser, but with the same joy for life, and the same connection we felt when we first met.  3 women from 3 different planets, with the same wave length.  sharing our stories, our triumphs, our sorrows… and finding strength from one another.  We could see the marks of the time on our hips, our face, our hair… but our spirits were intact, our biological age, somehow did not match that adolescent feeling, taking selfies on every corner, as if trying to eternalise  those happy moments.

Small tokens of love…

Today I am just happy that my spirit has not been tamed.  Those connections throughout my life, have lifted me and became my family along the way, as I have lived most of my adult life away from my own family.  During hard times, I looked around me, and found small tokens of love that people left me… and I felt uplifted.

Gift from my roommates on my 25th birthday

My B-day celebration 2005

Zimbabwe with some very special foxes

2004… made by a very talented fox…

Farewell to Guatemala

Always on my table…

Two of my dearest sisters along the way

Granny from Guatemala

My French Fox

Benin 1996… first gift to my son

My township, from the mother of my dearest sons O.

The fox that follows me everywhere I go…

The Karoo… where I left my heart

Shared with so many of my foxes

I cherish those foxes… they are the colours in my life.  I am ever so thankful for them, they are the ones that left a stamp on my journey through my ever-changing reality… This blog has led me to re-connect with many foxes of my past, and that re-connection brought back indescribable moments of joy, as if in an act of magic.

And when life seems to be standing still… there is again another fox, as a reminder of what life is all about…

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