15 minutes Outside

I didn’t realize how scared of my surroundings I have been. This is the same world and I am the same person. But we got so many warnings about diseases here and there are so many bugs (including small lizards) that join us in our home unwanted that I have not been comfortable. It has been interesting to note the small things that help me to overcome these feelings like 15 minutes outside.
One day this week one of the boys next door asked if Prince could come outside to play. He has been inviting him to play quite regularly, but I am not always ready to let our son go outside. His friend is beginning to find out how small the window is in each day that I will let Prince go outside (partly because of the time of day that malaria can be a problem and family time).
So on the day this week that I am thinking of I told his friend that I would talk to Prince who was changing and get back to him about going outside. His friend said that he would wait outside the door. I laugh because he says that other times and never does :). I talk to Prince and we decide that he can go outside and for how long, he gets ready and I go out with him.
Now, Prince doesn’t want me to go outside with him. He wants to do all of this by himself, but last time I sent him out by himself he knocked on their door and stayed inside watching DS. The time I send him out I expect him to be playing outside. So Prince says to me, “Mom you stay here, you need to do the dishes”. What a crafty little 3 year old he is. I refused that logic however.
We went outside to look for Prince’s friend. We knocked on his door, and looked outside, but found him not (we did end up having his 3 year old brother tagging along with us though, the friend is 5). Prince was so excited about playing outside that I stayed outside with them for 15 minutes after we could not find his friend.
As I sat there watching Prince and the other little boy playing, there was a nice breeze and the day wasn’t too hot.  I suddenly felt a sense of normalcy that I hadn’t felt before in being here in Africa. It is hard to explain it, but I wasn’t afraid of what I was breathing or what kind of bugs might crawl on me or my children. It was a moment of a calm feeling like things were alright. I felt very blessed.
 -- Joy