The days on the long road of one families Ethiopian Adoption

This blog started out as a way to record the twists, turns, highs and lows in my families journey to adopt siblings from Ethiopia. Now our children are home and we have just finished celebrating our first year as a family.

I'm Kimberly (or Fendesha), an adventurous person who aspires to be a vagabond- but for now- I spend all of my free time travelling and my down time thinking of travelling. I'm a mom of 3 (the oldest being my gorgeous canine companion), a IT project manager, and on occasion I find myself the primary writer of this blog.


Happy Reading and thank you for stopping by.

Friday, August 28, 2009

The Paradox of our age

When I came home from Ethiopia last year- I found an emptiness in my life that I could not explain. I was shocked to find that I had returned to Massachusetts with the weight of the world on my shoulders.

I no longer saw my life in the same perspective. It was a long journey before I again made peace and comfort in my feelings regarding our opportunist lifestyle here. Much of what I found in our lives is nicely summarized in a well known speech by the XIVth Dalai Lama.

A few months after finding solice and comfort again in my American life- I returned to Ethiopia. And again- it is still the same words that I find understanding in-the same words that help me find an inner balance. As I read it this time though, I think of my children and how can I teach them to best bridge these two worlds so that they can not only "be the best they can be" but also include teachings about inner balance.

I hope you take a moment to consider them- and perhaps it inspires some "random act of kindness" on your part:

The Paradox of our Age- by the XIV Dalai Lama

"We have bigger house and smaller families;
more convenience, but less time.
We have degrees, but less sense;
more knowledge, but less judgment;
more experts, but more problems;
more medicine, but less healthiness.
We have been all the way to the moon and back,
but have trouble crossing the street to meet our new neighbor.
We built more computers to hold more information,
to product more copies than ever,
but have less communication.
We have become long on quantity,
but short on quality.
These are the times of fast foods, and slow digestion;
tall man and short character;
steep profits, and shallow relationships.
It is time when there is much in the window,
and nothing in the room."

2 comments:

Evelyn said...

Great post, Kim! I have felt similar feelings when coming back from extended time in Brazil or the Dominican Republic. In spite of all our conveniences, we in the US definitely seem to lose out on some things, especially when we are in the midst of the rat race. I think the fact that you are thinking these things regarding your children will make you a better mom. Hope all is well with you all!

Hugs!

kn said...

thanks

it's all true.

i try to remember on days i have with quinn - like today - that we don't need to 'do' much but rather just 'be'

i have never read this. it's so true.

Meme Stevens- Beautiful Song- get Kleenex

Oh the places I've Been (and might go again)