Humor, choices, flies and laundry (or the lack thereof)

August 15, 2011
Jinja, Uganda

It’s been a relatively quiet day today after last night’s adventure with the babies. I went to bed around 2:30 and got to sleep longer than anyone else (about 4 hours) and then got up around 7:00 and joined Courtney out in the living room so Mandie and Kate could sleep for a while. The babies are little fighters and are doing better.
FYI, a sense of humor is essential here (and maybe also in any house where there are small children, especially sick small children). Between the flies, and the vomiting, and the lady who didn’t wash, dry or iron the laundry (meaning we have very little clean things left), and other…“occurrences”…for lack of a better word, there is so much to cause stress and worry and irritation and anger. But I’ve been astounded at how much laughter there is in this house, even in the midst of the craziness. I was astounded because I found myself growing so frustrated and tired and angry and was starting to get annoyed by the seeming “ease” (even though it’s totally not easy) with which the girls were functioning. Then I realized that one’s reaction to any situation is really a choice. Certainly you have an initial reaction (maybe happiness, or anger, and fear, or irritation), but ultimately, one chooses what they will do with that emotion. You choose whether or not it’s a good emotion with which to deal with the current situation. In this case, perhaps irritation or anger is the initial reaction to a lot of the things that happen here, but it is not necessarily the best response. Even if it is simply to keep yourself from turning into a bitter grouch or discouraged pessimist, choosing to respond to what life throws at you through your sense of humor is not only smart, it’s internally healthy.
Note to self.
Lesson learned.
Or at least, lesson seen and trying to be absorbed, which is not quite the same...
Tomorrow is my last day here in Jinja. Since I’m flying out of Kampala Thursday afternoon, we’ll be making the trip up there Wednesday morning to stay the night and get all our baggage situated and me to the airport on time. I’m not sure what’s on the agenda for tomorrow. Playing by ear…that’s the name of the game, folks. That used to be so hard for me, but it’s getting easier now. Just in time too.