There is no education like adversity

As I sit here, safe in my living room, blogging from the comfort of my couch, the realization that this is paradise, sinks in even further as I listen on KUOW 94.9 to an interview with a mother, Leah Chishugi. Her heart wrenching tale of survival and strength is inspiring. 


She lead a peaceful and privileged life until the fateful day when after the Rwandan president was assassinated, the Hutus mercilessly began slaughtering the Tutsis (Leah's ethnic group). She fled to Zaire with her 6 month old infant son. She was caught at different points and  beaten, tortured and left for dead. At one point, her son's infant cries for his mother brought her back to consciousness. She survived and finally made it to the safety of Zaire with her son but their experience has dramatically changed them into people who view the world differently.


This story and the many others similar to it, make me want to fall on my knees and thank God for the blessings he has given us. That I am able to live each day without fearing for my child's safety or my own is really a blessing because there are so many people in the world who do not share this luxury. It is painful to understand that in life people are dealt such radically different hands. Some are so lopsided and unfair. Caste systems. Genocide. Racism. Poverty. No one should be unloved, left uncared for and fearful of what others might do to him.


When I walk into Lily's beautiful nursery and look at all she has;  her closet full of clothes, shelves full of books and all the animals that join her in her soft and comforting crib, I send a prayer up to God   thanking him for providing us with these small things that make life more comfortable, but most importantly for keeping us safe, sound and healthy. I cannot imagine having to flee from Washington or the United States in order to stay alive. This is most likely a pain and suffering we will never endure. 


I feel frustrated by what I think that I'm unable to do in regards to the injustice around the world. But I also believe that one way to eliminate ignorance and cruelty is to tell each other our stories. Stories of love, hope and survival. This blog sounds a bit cheesy and preachy and that is not my intention. I heard another mother's story and it inspired me to pass it on. Each mother has challenges and great stories from the battlefield, literally and figuratively. I saw some inspiring words to keep in mind on those days that prove more trying than others: