"It was a wonderful place, this Ezenzeleni. For here the blind, that dragged out their days in a world they could not see, here they had eyes given to them. Here they made things that he for all his sight could never make. Baskets stout and strong, in osiers of different colours, coming together in patterns, the red with the red the blue with the blue, under the seeing and sightless hands. He talked with the people, and the blind eyes glowed with something that could only have been fire in the soul. It was white men who did this work of mercy, and some of them spoke English and some spoke Afrikaans. Yes, those who spoke English and those who spoke Afrikaans came together to open the eyes of black men that were blind."(1.13.29) I love this passage from Alan Paton’s “Cry, the Beloved Country” because it seems to connect so meaningfully with my life, at present. For those who have not read “Cry, the Beloved Country,” it is a novel that follows a Zulu pastor’s journey to Johannesburg. It takes place in the mid 1940’s when South Africa’s social structures were setting the stage for apartheid. In this scene, Stephen Kamalo (the Zulu pastor) visits a place called Ezenleni, where blind black men, who at that time would have no hope of making a living for themselves, would partner with white South Africans to make baskets. Blind, black South Africans were joining together with seeing white South Africans to make something beautiful together. I find this passage connects well with certain portions of my life. Currently, I am working hard to recover what I have lost in my car accident (March 16, 2014). In general, there is a lot of partnering that needs to occur as I recover. Of course, I need to partner with my many therapists to do what I would be unable to do alone (or not do well alone). That partnering takes by far most of my time. More specifically, I want to note that special something which makes my eyes glow “with what can only be fire in the soul.” For me, that thing is playing piano, something I have always thoroughly enjoyed. My accident, of course, has left me with only one side of my body working as it normally would. I am unable to get my left hand and leg to cooperate as well as my right hand and leg do. Because of this one-sided weakness, it means that playing piano has become a unique challenge. Normally, one plays piano with two hands (left and right) but for me, my left hand is less responsive. Thankfully, my right hand works just as it did previously, pre-accident. Last August, whilst I was still in the hospital, my newly engaged friends, Yohanna and Brendan, asked me to play at their wedding ceremony, regardless of whatever the future state of my left hand (a request I found to be quite beautiful). So now, as the wedding date approaches my dear friend Jessica wonderfully has agreed to partner with me to create what we hope will be beautiful music. She will play the left hand and I the right. It has been an exceptional joy for me to get together and practice with her. I am delighted at the prospect of playing with Jessica at the wedding. So, what is the thing that makes your eyes glow with fire in the soul? I would encourage you to seek and discern what that thing is for your life is because discovering that will inspire and enliven your daily living. Here is a link to one of the songs we hope to play together (only piano of course): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KS3o_160OhE. I find the ending lyrics of this song particularly moving: “O Joy that seekest me through pain, I cannot close my heart to thee; I trace the rainbow through the rain, and feel the promise is not vain, that morn shall tearless be!” I concur with those words wholeheartedly!