I never quite knew how different other people's views on being an orphan was to mine, until one sunny day. I wanted to watch the movie 'Annie' so I checked online for it's reviews. As I scrolled down the screen, an anonymous comment caught me by surprise.
'I've always wanted to be an orphan. Like as a child I'd fantasise about being one (don't worry, in my fantasy my parents weren't dead. They just left me "HomeAlone" style and I had to be on my own for a couple of days) It's because many of the movies that I watched growing up had an orphan as a main character who was always abandoned in some bad orphanage but still managed to have fun and get adopted by super rich parents. Thanks Annie for the throwback and reminding me to be grateful for my parents (they bought me the ticket) but they're not billionaires, so whatever.'
I remember laughing, then thinking silently to myself I have never thought of it that way, ever!
From my eyes, I would watch the same movies and be so afraid that my relatives would get tired of living with me and send me to an orphanage, where I would have to deal with a mean matron and children who would bully me because I was weaker and I would have to sleep hungry because someone snatched my food.
I never quite saw how the orphan made friends with other people easily (even animals) I never realized how even as the orphan was being bullied, they were always kind, gentle, caring and they eventually stood up for themselves and others, I didn't realize that in the end, the orphan brought so much love and joy to the family they got adopted into and they went on to do amazing things in their lives.
It's crazy how my life turned out almost exactly as the movie version. I met some mean people who bullied me but in the process I grew strong in will, I had some crazy adventures with all the good people that opened their arms for me, I have been raised by so many strong women and men who had so much love for me. All this has shaped me into who I am today, a strong willed, thick skinned, compassionate softy.
I wish I learnt this lesson years before, it would have saved me from the emotional turmoil that was always being sorry for myself and thinking less of myself as a person.
I just had to think differently to notice.
When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.
Wayne Dyer
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African Orphan
Документальная прозаI was born on a beautiful day at 2pm at the Matter hospital. My childhood was amazing! I was a big sister to the best gal in the whole world, a daughter to the most caring parents and a close knit extended family. By age 12 I lost my entire world. ...
