Sad news from my Aberdeen neighbors...

I’m happy it’s Friday evening; it’s been a good but tiring week. We ended our work day at a beach ‘bar’, visiting with friends who just came back from the USA. It was a great way to end the week, amazed again by the sunset.

On a different note- I was saddened today. I was walking from the beach road to the center and stopped to visit my two little ‘running buddy’ friends on the way. I used to go running frequently and would run past them, stopping briefly to play. However, the runs have been non-existent lately, so I decided to drop in.

Usually the kids are outside playing or taking baths, mom is preparing dinner and father is sitting outside with their 4 month old son. Not today. I was deeply saddened to find out from family that the father died last week; very suddenly, in the middle of the night. I went inside to talk to the mom. She was sitting in their dark one-room shack, with her baby boy lying next to her and one of her other children eating dinner. It was hard to know what to say. Words just weren’t enough. The words “osh ya” mean “sorry”. It sounded very cheap. But I hope that she knows I genuinely care and feel her sorrow. I hope to stop by there again in the next few days.

Unfortunately this story is just one of many that take place here everyday.