Tonight in class we watched a documentary on the ex-President of Doctors Without Borders- Dr. James Orbinski and his experiences in Somalia and Rwanda.
He was in Somalia during the famine in the early 90's. Unimaginable suffering. Orbinski was talking with the head of an orphanage and he asked him, why do you do this work? He answered, "These children have lost everything, but they are still seeds. Seeds for tomorrow's Somalia, and tomorrow's Somalia will be better." All over, tomorrow's will be better. I believe that, it's impossible not to.
Then he was talking with future physicians in Rwanda. One of the men told Orbinski about a conversation he had with his mother. She asked him, "how will you do this work when you know how many of your own have perished?" The Rwandan man's response was beautiful! He said," it takes effort to surpass yourself."
A thought that I will challenge myself with daily. Because it does take effort, and I haven't survived genocide, so if he can surpass himself then I most definitely can too. There are no perfect answers to lives questions but everyday, I feel like I am understanding the lens to which see through life better. It is not heroic to give our lives to others; it's decent, it's normal, it's human. & its where we become alive.
He was in Somalia during the famine in the early 90's. Unimaginable suffering. Orbinski was talking with the head of an orphanage and he asked him, why do you do this work? He answered, "These children have lost everything, but they are still seeds. Seeds for tomorrow's Somalia, and tomorrow's Somalia will be better." All over, tomorrow's will be better. I believe that, it's impossible not to.
Then he was talking with future physicians in Rwanda. One of the men told Orbinski about a conversation he had with his mother. She asked him, "how will you do this work when you know how many of your own have perished?" The Rwandan man's response was beautiful! He said," it takes effort to surpass yourself."
A thought that I will challenge myself with daily. Because it does take effort, and I haven't survived genocide, so if he can surpass himself then I most definitely can too. There are no perfect answers to lives questions but everyday, I feel like I am understanding the lens to which see through life better. It is not heroic to give our lives to others; it's decent, it's normal, it's human. & its where we become alive.
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