celebrate sunsets...

I’m blessed to have experienced so much abundant love and compassion from strangers these past weeks ~ I’m deeply humbled and have developed a whole new faith in humanity. Why is it acts of gentleness or consideration are so touching when they’re done by someone you’ve never met before? Because they are wholly and utterly unnecessary – there’s no history of relationship, no vested interest in building a future, no benefit ‘in it’ for them. These gestures are borne of a pure spirit of generosity and human kindness. And that’s a beautiful thing…

I’ve had incredible exchange amidst my wandering, with ‘strangers’. The pharmacist at Hout Bay Clicks whose gentle words and caring countenance were balm to my wrenching soul; the friend-of-a-friend in Obz who took me for 5 nights, cooked me chicken soup, brought me flat whites in bed and kept me in good company until my new home was ready; the father-son team who made me (and my two cats) at home in their magical space, the gate keeper on Chapman’s peak who saw me crying with a heavily loaded car, wailing cats and affirmed that it would all be ‘ok’; the dear lady and her parrot at Jawitz who reminded me that it doesn’t matter how long love lasts, it’s worth having loved; a twitter-er who linked me to a poem that broke my heart apart; the blog I stumbled upon that speaks our secret stories. To all these people, who I don’t know (but do): thank you.

And to those who do (for better and or worse) know me, my friends and family: thank you. Thank you for holding, sharing, listening, supporting, forgiving, not giving up on… and intrinsically linking me to a beautiful world full of beautiful strangers.

Here’s that poem (thank you Libby… and Ugli)

for women who are 'difficult' to love. 
(poem eleven by warsan shire) 

you are a horse running alone
and he tries to tame you
compares you to an impossible highway
to a burning house
says you are blinding him
that he could never leave you
forget you
want anything but you
you dizzy him, you are unbearable
every woman before or after you
is doused in your name
you fill his mouth
his teeth ache with memory of taste
his body just a long shadow seeking yours
but you are always too intense
frightening in the way you want him
unashamed and sacrificial 
he tells you that no man can live up to the one who 
lives in your head
and you tried to change didn't you?
closed your mouth more
tried to be softer
prettier
less volatile, less awake
but even when sleeping you could feel 
him travelling away from you in his dreams
so what did you want to do love
split his head open?
you can't make homes out of human beings
someone should have already told you that
and if he wants to leave
then let him leave
you are terrifying
and strange and beautiful
something not everyone knows how to love...