Emily and Malcolm's Return To Zambia

On Sunday my family and I flew back to Zambia after spending August in the UK. My wife, Emily works for Beyond Ourselves here in Zambia and I am the Deputy Head teacher at Simba International School.

We love our family and friends in the UK and catching up with everyone, but Oh how we love to come back home. Zambia can be the most frustrating of places to live at times but it often feels like best place on earth.

After getting stuck in traffic on the M25 we missed our flight and ended up arriving back in Zambia late on Sunday afternoon and going straight into the new school year on Monday morning. So starting back has been fairly hectic, but between the manic timetabling and staff training sessions there have been moments to stop and breath in the calm and marvel and the sheer gratitude I feel for living in this place.

One particular highlight of our return was walking round our garden and noticing two tiny pineapples beginning to grow two and a half years after being planted. Wonderful!

There’s space to walk and pause and ponder here on the edge of Ndola where we live. Life is still filled with business which can overwhelm but it’s a fine place to stop and stare and replenish the soul. This is one of my favourite poems and it will always remind me of walking in my garden here.

What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.
No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.
A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

W.H.DAVIES


Blog by Malcolm