A Visit From Lindiwe - Spring, 2023

Liz, Lindiwe, and a good Lincoln friend, Sharon.

Eleven years ago, my sister, Katherine, and I missed a flight out of Johannesburg, South Africa. We had hauled our luggage all over the airport looking for the baggage check, had finished the last of our bottled water, and were out of cash (dollars and rands!). My sister went to book another flight and I crashed, in tears. It was the first time something had gone wrong in almost three weeks on that astonishing continent.  And then, something so right happened. A South African Xhosa woman, who was waiting for a flight out of a completely different concourse, decided to sit down next to me, and seeing my distress, asked if I would like some water. I told her I would dearly love some water, and she hopped up and bought me a large bottle! Her name was Lindiwe Tukane, a teacher and lover of language (she speaks nine!), and we talked non-stop for 45 minutes. I read some poetry I'd already written about my experience in Africa; she described her work with the poorest school children in South Africa. We felt as if we'd known each other forever. Our flights were called and we parted with hugs and kisses and promises to email, which we have done all these years! This June, Lindi spent two weeks with us here on the ranch in Montana and thrilled our school classes with lively stories about the culture and education of people living on the Eastern Cape with no running water or personal electricity or indoor bathrooms. (They do use solar energy for their computers.) Everyone who met Lindi was inspired and enlightened and will be missing her deeply, as Jerry and I will always.

Babe, our Border collie, at the blessing of the animals this Sunday at the Methodist Church at the Blessing of the Animals.