Smile …

A smile is happiness you’ll find right under your nose – Tom Wilson

(English and photographs below)

Ek glimlag want ek het ‘n heerlike dag op die KLR gehad, deur wintervelde en onder ‘n blou-blou hemel gery.

Ek glimlag want Afrika en sy mense was baie goed vir my.

Ek glimlag want deur die KLR het ek soveel wonderlike mense ontmoet.

Ek glimlag want ek het Isabel Mayer ontmoet. Vyf dae gelede.

Isabel is ‘n pragtige mens. Haar stem is rustig. Haar gesig straal. Die aand van ons ontmoeting het sy my laatnag ‘n epos gestuur. Een sinnetjie uit haar epos het my laat glimlag want dit was so waar.

“Ek was so gelukkig om in Duitsland gebore te wees en kort na my geboorte geopereer kon word.”

Isabel is ook met ‘n haaslip gebore. In Duitsland word dit baie kort na die geboorte herstel. By ons in Suid-Afrika en in feitlik alle ontwikkelingslande ontbreek die geld.

Ek glimlag want ons is so kort voor ons doelwit van 15 kinders wat geopereer kan word.

Ek glimlag want julle almal het bewys dat menslikheid nie ‘n leë begrip is nie.

Dankie dat julle bygedra het dat Ride for a Smile 2010 so ‘n reuse sukses was. Ek is so trots dat my kollegas by FSA Youth Exchange met hart en siel hierdie projek ondersteun het.

Sondagaand na ek by my huis aangekom het, skryf ek die laaste inskrywing voor ons Ride for a Smile 2010 wegpak.

Ride for a Smile 2011? Wat dink julle?

Let us call it reality

Like Isabel everyone deserves the chance to smile and be happy.

English

I smile because I had a lovely riding day behind me. The KLR glided past winter-yellow grass fields with the bluest of blue heaven above us.

I smile because Africa and the Africans were so good to me.

I smile because the KLR was the reason that I could meet so many wonderful people.

I smile because I had the privilege of meeting Isabel Mayer five days ago.

Isabel is a stunning lady. She has a beautiful voice. Listening to her speaking one can feel the serenity coming from her. Late night that day she sent me an email. One sentence made me smile because it was so true.

“I was so lucky to be born in Germany and to undergo the operation very soon after my birth.”

Isabel was born with a cleft lip. In Germany they rectify cleft lips and palates a few days after birth. In South Africa and in most other developing countries there isn’t the money to do the same.

Tonight I am smiling as we are so close to our aim of sponsoring the operation for 15 children.

I am smiling because YOU have showed that humanity is still well and alife.

Thank you that you helped to make Ride for a Smile 2010 such a huge success. I am so proud of my colleagues at FSA Youth Exchange who wholeheartedly supported this project.

On Sunday night after arriving back home I will write the last post before we put Ride for a Smile 2010 away on the shelf.

Ride for a Smile 2011? What do you think?