You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting. You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.

-Mary Oliver

Friday 25 April 2008

Pre- and post-mature nostalgia

It's been a sweet and emotional past few days. Wednesday was our final voice class, and we worked on our tragic chorus a bit with Simon, who led us through a really beautiful and heartbreaking exercise with our text. Afterwards, we sat in a circle to feedback, and I had a wide-angle-lens moment - taking in everyone around me, the atmosphere in the room, realising that this time is drawing ever closer to a close, and just feeling so unbelievably blessed. I indulged in a bawling session, red nose and all, and sucked it all in.

And yesterday was our last class with Steph. Lovely, spunky, bashful, playful Steph, who has grown with us as a teacher and brought us so much. Another joyful class that ended in tears - and not just for me this time.

Having Erica in town (she just left yesterday) has also got me thinking about Uganda again, and looking through other people's photos has broken my heart all over again that my camera's memory card was stolen in Tanzania. It was difficult at the time, but now that the memories have started to fade I'm really wishing I had those pictures. It's starting to feel like it was so long ago, that experience. Strange to think that someday I'll feel the same way about LISPA.

"I wish I had taken more pictures..."

No comments: