Wordless Wednesday - 3

How I Spent My 4th of July

Standing in a line outside the South African Revenue Service

Reading in the sound room at the Blind Institute, South Africa

It was just a normal day here in South Africa. I only remembered it was my 4th of July once I read the time and date inside the SARS building. Robbie (my hubby) braved the cold wind and slight drizzle with me while we waited outside in the cold for an hour. We got there 20 minutes before 8 am to get a good spot in the line and they only began letting people through the door at 8:15 am. I guess that's Africa for you. The tax man was a friendly lady and she processed my paperwork quickly. That was a huge a relief.

Shortly after, I went to the Blind Institute where I volunteer for about 2 hours once a week by reading in a sound room, which gets recorded and distributed to the visually impaired. It can be anything from novels to Christian religious to text books and exam papers.

For dinner, my hubby surprised me with a 4th of July treat for his American wife. He picked up American-style chocolate chip cookies at the store and served it with vanilla ice-cream.

P.S. My Wordless Wednesday has 195 words not including the captions or this message. I guess it's not that wordless!

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Happily Ever After

This post follows on from “More than a Prince.”

Amanda with her dad at the Cape Town airport.
Don't you just love the Disney Mermaid suitcase!

It’s funny how little girls get romantic notions. Amanda’s Disney movies send the message that when the pretty girl marries her prince, they live happily ever after. The future holds no more cares or worries. It’s blissful oblivion. From my perspective, they stop existing, because existing means to feel love, happiness, joy, satisfaction, disappointed, discouragement and pain. Life is all these emotions and more.

My advice to any woman wanting the perfect husband is not to go for a prince, but rather go for someone with substance. Find a guy who not only wants to be the champion, but who also wants to champion you. Life will continue after the wedding. It might not always feel like “happily ever after,” but it will be the real kind of existing in a real world.

The best kind of living is one with relevance and purpose.

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