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Velcro Shoes: Emily in Chad

 

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Text Box: One winged birds are something amazing.   This was the first time I had seen one. Kousimmia is a flier, even with just one arm. The kids make fun of Kousimmia sometimes.   Some bully will shake their arm around behind their body as if it is detached.  They'll laugh when he misses a shot in basketball.   But ousimmia just seems to shake it all off.  He has learned so much basketball.  He runs.  He is learning English really well. At the airport, Alex gave me a small little copy of the book, "Jonathan Livingston Seagull."  It's about a seagull who gets tired of the role of seagulls: eating and perching.  He wants something else.   He learns that his wings do actually really amazing things.  He puts behind him the shame that comes when a bird falls and he learns to do these high-speed dives from unimaginable heights.   He crashes a lot and soaks himself in the ocean but failure is absolutely nothing to him. In the seagull book it says, "The trick is to stop seeing yourself as trapped in a forty-two-inch wing span."   YES!              But Kousimmia wanted shoes.   He has been running with out them..but he wanted them.   So this morning when I saw that pair of Velcro shoes, I thought, this is the reason the Velcro shoes came.              Taking the shoes in hand, I asked the kids where Kousimmia lived.   They directed me there and I found Kousimmia's family standing around with their big bull cow.   I stood at a distance because if this bull simply nodded his head in the wrong direction, he could put a whole in you with his horns.  The littlest boy held the cow on a rope and I asked him if he wasn't even a little bit afraid.   He said, "No," and at that, he hugged this massive cow.   Then he crawled down under the cow and squatted between the bulls two front legs.  This kid is fearless. I told Kousimmia that I had some shoes for him.   He was thrilled and his crooked side smile just shot forth.   I strapped the shoes on him.   They fit perfectly.  HE LOVED THEM!  Lace up shoes just wouldn't work for him because he can't tie them with only one hand.  I said, "You wanna go now?"  "Yes!"   So we went.  Koomakung, his little brother (a 6 year old)  came with us.   With incredible endurance Koomakung didn't stop once.   I couldn't believe it.   It was such a good birthday run. I can't believe I didn't see the value in those velcro shoes.   It seems like I've got it subconsciously in my head that we have to have the best best best!  The best is not always the best.and God knew that.   Thanks for sending the shoes.  Especially the pair of velcro shoes.  I'll never think badly of Velcro shoes again.  I promise.   Love, Emily Star.