Apologies for our recent silence. Reuben is growing up fast and
keeping me occupied! Days float by in a haze of play, laundry, washing the
dishes, changing nappies (diapers), e-mails, cooking and did I mention laundry?!
Reuben likes to get out, so we often walk down to the store (we just have one
shop on centre), go to a friend’s house, check our PO box (we love receiving
mail, so please write to us!) or just go for a walk round our little Ukarumpa
world. It’s a small world to be honest, but most days I am content.
Most days. It’s the small things that catch me out and accumulate
until I feel stressed, emotional, tired, or all three. For example, about a month
ago the store ran out of washing-up liquid. Ok, I thought, I have a few spare
bottles…it will be fine. But the weeks passed and I worked my way through our
supply. I began to wonder what to do and gradually got more and more worried. I
started to dream about the household aisle in Tesco. Dreaming about washing-up
liquid?! I knew it had to stop! We have an intranet with different forums and
one of them is entitled ‘General Wanted’. Ashamed that I had not planned my
washing-up liquid stash better, I reluctantly posted my request to purchase some
washing-up liquid from someone. The problem is that it turns out that Americans
have a different name for it (dish soap – perfectly sensible, but different), so
it took a bit of explaining before it was clear what I wanted. Lots of people
offered me their spare bottles, so that I was left in the surprising position of
having to choose my donor. Where do they all get it from?! I felt relieved, but
tired. I felt awkward because I could not make myself understood. I felt awkward
that everyone else had washing-up liquid and I didn’t. I felt awkward because I
had been so concerned about not having it. I wished I had bought more before I
went home to have Reuben. But, in the midst of all the awkwardness, I also realised I
had much to be thankful for!In spite of supply problems and cross-cultural
misunderstandings, I experienced generosity and the start of a new friendship and all because there was no washing-up liquid in the store.
God provided what I needed and more.
Most of the time we can get the basics in the store and my silly
washing-up liquid story just made me more grateful for the things that are
there. We live in a remote place, so you can’t always count on being able to
have what you want. I have had to be more flexible about meal plans and often
have a plan a, b and c. We are yet to reach d…my expectations have had to
change and some days I cope better than others.
Whilst I dream about the rows of multi-coloured washing up liquid
in Tesco (I’m still not over it I see...!), Duncan is out and about. The other
day I had had a bad day. Reuben had screamed for no apparent reason for much of
the day and I was struggling with mild flu. Duncan came home and excitedly
showed me photographs and video from his trip that day. He had taken some
dignitaries to a village where new school buildings had recently been
constructed from money donated by this particular company. There was dancing,
singing, traditional dress, stunning scenery and of course, the helicopter.
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| Apparently these guys asked Duncan to take their photo and put it on Facebook! |
His
eyes were bright and he was full of stories I was desperately trying to focus
on. To be honest, I was thinking about the amount of washing-up preparing dinner
had generated! You see why I need washing –up liquid?! Sorry…FOCUS! When it got
to my turn to talk, all I could think of was how many naps Reuben had taken,
number of nappies changed, games played, how much time Reuben spent crying and what I had
bought at the store.
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| I actually quite enjoy hanging the nappies out... |
What very different days! We both do important stuff. I
know that, but sometimes it doesn’t feel like it. Most days it does and I am so
thankful for this special time with my gorgeous son. Most days I love it. Every
day I love him and his jet-setting dad.
