After a hectic 11 months and running around in the almost ended heat wave that characterised summer in Malawi this year, I am ecstatic to take my annual leave and get a bit of the much needed rejuvenation. I will be away for the rest of the month but will still write my ed’s notes every week. If you are wondering who is taking care of Every Woman; don’t stress. My immediate boss and section head Cheu Mita has got it covered. I might also add that I am so grateful that she agreed to cover up for me; otherwise I might not have had my hard-earned rest!
 While I was writing this note, I sat at the edge of our backyard, basking in the glorious, not too hot morning sun, my bare feet digging into the warm grass. An old tub full of flowers, planted by mum, caught my eye. It was something we’d thrown out when we’d just gotten the house and were renovating it ugly with hideous scratches, ingrained dirt marks and rusted brown sides. My mom didn’t let our surprise and laughter hold her back from what she’d planned she scrubbed that tub clean, moved it to the front yard and planted it full of all types of flowers. Now that tub’s become a vintage centre piece of sorts and every year bursts with delicious shades of yellow, baby blue, white, deep pink and green; absolute beauty spilling over at the sides. ÂÂ
Those flowers made me think to look past all the exterior pretentiousness and probe deep into my soul. I tried to compare my life or anyone else’s life, to that tub.
It led me to wonder whether, upon being frustrated, disappointed and let down, we choose to keep ourselves hidden in a dark garage after the sun had stopped shining and life had stopped flowing through us.
True, we might still be lying there, but we have a choice. We could keep moaning about our situation, laying still or we could pick ourselves up, plant vibrant flowers within our souls and let life and beauty flow from within unto the world around us.
Today, I decided to make some changes. In place of those of baby breath, petunia, marigold, lilies and blooming daisies in my mum’s tub, I will plant peace, joy, courage, self-improvement, wisdom and the strength to accept my faults, work on my assets and love everything else in between. I will smile through the sour moments, laugh the hardest through the sunny ones and keep only those who know my faults, help me work on them and still love me within the circle of my closest people.
I will smile through the days and choose to remember that I was made in this way, with these eyes, this nose, these lips, these hips, these feet for a damn good reason. I will live this life and be happy and be beautiful and an inspiration to everyone around me. A beautiful life. That’s what I will have. If you too want to live a beautiful life; all you have to do is make the choice.
