“You’re becoming a Senegalese woman,” he told me, when he saw me carrying my big basin full of damp clothes up to the lines on the roof.
“That’s good,” I responded with a smile, even though I knew that he was probably just flattering me.
I know I haven’t yet got close to earning that title. When I watch the women around me I am challenged, amazed and flat out convicted sometimes. From what I have been able to see so far, there is little that the Senegalese women around me don’t do. They cook almost all, if not all, meals. They clean their houses, raise their kids, and many have jobs outside of home to try to bring in some money.
I have seen the women from the family that lives in the little house near us… they tote in water, have no electricity, make their food over the open fire, and with the exception of a few minutes here or there, they are usually working.
As someone who at times, struggles against a natural inclination towards laziness, I think I have much to learn from the ladies here. I’m thankful for the opportunity to grow in another area of my life, and look forward to the day if/when I have actually earned the title “Senegalese woman”.