Appreciating the little things in life

Today I am celebrating people who have changed my life without knowing it. People who make me realize the value of the little things that I take for granted, people who live there lives with a smile on their faces.

There is this man who sales “mkate wa mayai” {coast pizza} near the coast bus terminus. Though I do not know his name, he makes me smile and appreciate those little things in life. He has this bright smile as he cooks his pizzas, he loves his job so much, he welcomes everyone with a smile and the usual “good morning” no matter the time. Most are the times we complain about our jobs and bosses but this man who earns so little never complains, he has learnt the secret to life and as I munch away my pizza I am glad I met him. Through him I have learnt the art of smiling from the heart and the secret of having so many people smile back at me.

The other day I was having a chat with our security guard at the office, he was telling me his dreams and how he guards at night and goes to school during the day. I asked him if he ever sleeps, he looked at me with a smile and told me he will sleep when he achieves his dreams. Looking at him you can never tell he rarely sleeps, he does his work so well. It is people like him who make me realize the power of dreams and the faith to fight for what you want.

I am blessed to have four mothers with four beautiful girls, they raised there daughters in Kenya’s largest and notorious slums Kibera, Mathare and Korogocho. They strived hard to give there daughters the best and it paid off well with one daughter in America and the other three having great careers. They smiled as they sold Changaa, Mandazis and sukuma wiki knowing there dreams would come to pass. As I look at them I am glad to be who I am today, they taught me well they taught me the power of prayers, the power of dreams and knowing you can be what you want to be.

As I celebrate these people, I am glad they crossed my path and thankful for I am a better person.

Morning Adventure

I never thought I would use the Train, but thanks to traffic jam on Thika Rd I am now a registered member of the Rift Valley Railway.

Every day there is something to smile about, sitting at my favourite corner I watch all the happenings in the morning. There isn’t much drama at Kahawa West, everyone sits silently most of them looking sleepy. Next stop Githurai and this is where all the drama begins, from the Mokorino lady who pushes her way in to the guy who is always cursing her. The Mokorino lady always has the last laugh she always gets a sit.

Next stop is Mwiki, apart from the giggling school girls there isn’t much drama. I always wonder why they giggle, guess it is the fun of using the train.

Dandora….Dandora…center of all drama. This where grown men prefer hanging on the windows so as not to pay the fare, this is where the ladies have discovered the art of dodging the tout. It is in Dandora where everyone knows the latest information on politics and they already know which team will win the world cup.

Thanks to using the train I now eat groundnut daily, the ladies selling them make sure you have a bite as you make your to work or home.

If you thought you can get away without paying your fare, think again. RVR have employed some G4S guards whose sole purpose is to make sure that you pay and when they get you, you will part with more money.

As I alight the Train there is a warm welcoming voice thanking us for us the train and reminding us to alight with all our luggage. I always walk away smiling, waiting for my next adventure on the train

Her Story

Her smile is full of goodness, yet her eyes tell a different story,
A story she wishes to forget, a story full of pain and fear,
She wonders why her life had to be part of the sad story,
The images are still fresh in her young mind, she weeps,
She wishes she could tell the story without being so sad,
But how can she tell the story of the Monsters without crying,
Monsters that took her innocence by force, she weeps,
Monsters that did not care that she was a frightened child,
Monsters who enjoyed the act, Monsters, she weeps,
Monsters who are still roaming around, she weeps,
Monsters who taught her to hate, Monsters, she weeps,
How will she learn to smile with happy eyes?
Who will teach her how to smile with her eyes?
How can she ever tell her story without crying?
She wishes she can rewrite a happier story,
She wishes that the next chapter will be a happier one,
As she smiles she hopes her eyes will hide the sadness.

Old School Christmas

As we approach Christmas, I miss the old school Christmas. Things have really changed, back then we used to pray that Christmas would never end. One of the things I miss most is shopping for Christmas clothes, I had so much fun. I would get a Pink dress, white socks, pink heeled shoes who would beat that. My poor brothers were bought the same trousers, same shoes and same shirts. The smell of new clothes really excited me, the worst part would be waiting for Christmas.

Christmas Eve and all kids would be allowed to play outside till midnight, while we waited for the Mass to begin. Come Christmas morning, first thing would be taking a bath all the while thinking of how I would floss with my new outfit. I would visit all my neighbors so they could see my stunning outfit, the worst part would be having the same outfit as your neighbor’s kid.

The day’s menu would be Chapati and Ndengu, for some reason everyone in the neighborhood cooked the same dish. After having our lunch, a visit to the local photo studio was a guarantee, the poses were to die for. The day’s outing would be at Uhuru Park, the boat rides and photo sessions were a must.

I wish I would go back to that, maybe this Christmas I will do it the old school way.

PINK DRESS

When I was a kid I had a beautiful pink dress, every time I wore it I would glow with confidence. It was my source of confidence, it had that magic touch that would transform me from a shy little girl to confident girl. One day i tried wearing my pink dress but it did not fit any more, I was hurt and scared, I had nothing to show off anymore. My confidence was at 0% and no other dress would bring back my glow.

In life we have that pink dress we hold on to for so long, the one that gives you the glow and confidence you need. Many a time we forget that we do not need anything or anyone to give us the confidence we need. We forget that when the pink dress does not fit any more you will need to buy a new dress, you need to learn to make people see you can glow in every situation.

My Movie

Last night i had a talk with my director...he had some good news for me, he would let me watch a clip of my movie. I was so excited for i was the star and i had the best director.

The first scene was of a beautiful baby girl, surrounded by smiling faces...oh that was me, guess i was a day old. As the movie progresses i see the baby girl growing up...many are the times she falls but with the help of the director she is up again.
As i continue watching my movie, i realize there were times i hid from the director, i thought i would be able to direct my own movie, but he never left me he was always waiting to help make that important shot.

The director paused the movie and i knew i didnt have to watch the rest of it, from the little i had seen, i knew we rise, we fall and we never give up. I knew with God as my director i did not have to be afraid.....

My director has taught me to love and laugh with my heart, he has taught me the value of hard work and most importantly he has told me that he has good plans for me.

I do not know what to expect in the movie of my life, but one thing is i want to make the script enjoyble, i want the Director to enjoy directing it...i want to have the best ending....i wnat to let God lead the way.

Beautiful Heartbreak

Please let it be a "beautiful heartbreak"
where i love you even after the goodbye
where you smile at me from the heart
where we hold hands as we part ways
where i promise to always be a friend
where you promise to be happy again
Let it be a "Beautiful Heartbreak"