Our Head of School spoke to us about gratitude on Thursday morning:

The definition of gratitude is “the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.”

Personally, I believe that gratitude is much more than that. Gratitude is returning the smile a person gives you in the hallway as you pass them, even if you have never met them before. It is noticing the warmth of the clothes on your back, and the teams that become more like family before the year ends. Reasons to be grateful are everywhere around us, yet often it seems like we don’t see the need for much gratitude at all. And no, I am not blaming anyone, in fact, I wrote this speech because of something I realized about myself. In my recent trip to Africa, I learned many things; one that Kyle Murdy will laugh at his father even after Mr. Murdy has just taken pickaxe to the forehead, and two, that lions attack anything that is red, which posed a real problem for Leigh and myself. However, the one thing that I will remember for the rest of my life is the people.

Although the people in the areas we visited mostly lived in poverty, they were the most generous and happy people I have ever met, and I’m sure the rest of the EDGE Zimbabwe team will agree with me too. In particular, I’m referring to the homeless kids of Gweru, whose names still resonate through my mind. The morning that the team arrived at the help centre we introduced ourselves to Farai, Denzel, and Lawrence who were the first kids in the centre that day. They immediately wanted to socialize. As they taught Lachlan and I how to gamble, Helena or “China” as they called her, taught them math for hours. Throughout the day, we played a variety of games, got to know each other, and cooked a full lunch complete with dessert.

We were then offered the chance to see where the street kids lived, something very few outsiders have ever gotten to see. As we got to an empty corner lot on a road, we followed a small trail past a wall of bushes and into just one of the street kids’ living spaces.

The initial sight of where they lived sent some people into shock, including myself. I had to resist the urge to walk away in denial of what I was seeing. The size of their shelters were about the size of two desks out of the English building put together, however they were made out of car doors, sticks, plastic bags, and cardboard. Almost at once, a man in a wheelchair came over to us, struggling to get over the broken bottles and garbage. He then greeted us in Shawna, the local language, before returning to put another plastic Coke carton on the fire and tend to his carrots, which were growing in the corner. Hearing the commotion, two 15-year-old girls with their 2-year-old toddlers came out from behind a few trees and stood by the warmth of the smouldering plastic, inhaling the black smoke. Shortly after we arrived, it was time to leave, and again with smiles, they said farewell.

As we were walking back, nobody talked. We were all in utter shock, and only a mixture of sadness and anger went through my mind. Mrs. Conroy quickly came up to me and asked if I was ok, and accompanied by a number of words that cannot be repeated in this chapel I managed to get my point across. I explained that I felt terrible for what I have in my life, for things such as my house, my laptop, my friends and family. I felt guilty for all of the times I have complained about going to a family member's house, or complained about the food on the table. I was the same as the street kids, but I was just dealt different cards. Those kids would have done anything to have a family that cared for them, or even a table to put food on. Unfair is the word I repeated over and over, I couldn't understand why they had to live like that, while we live like this.

At this point, I’ve painted a pretty somber picture, and as many of you already know, I don't like to stay in the negative. I’m not trying to make you feel guilty, or blame yourself for what privileges you have in your life. I am just asking for you to step out of your comfort zone and realize how much you actually have. As we sit here in chapel today, we all have someone in this world that would risk everything for us, and that has taken the time and gone through many sacrifices to assure we are present here today. So as we continue on with our day, let’s try to keep in mind the things that we are grateful for, because just being here makes us more fortunate than at least three quarters of the people on earth.

As famous American author and poet, William Arthur Ward once said, "Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings."

Thank you.

Photo by Stephen Lane