I have made many decisions in the course of my life that have led me to where I am now, however the one that was vital and drained me was the decision to step down from my job last year.
It was the decision to move on, to seek better and go where I am valued and respected, and above all to go where kindness resides. Of course, in most work places- this is not readily available but when I stepped down- it was from knowing that I would treat people better wherever I went.
I thought of ignoring this prompt, you know the kind of thing that you don’t want to get sucked into but you also can’t stop thinking about…well, it’s got to be questions like this. Simple, innocent, like they’re just curious and want to hear from you.
And then, the one place that came to mind was Red Ginger it’s in Nairobi, and I love it because the first time I visited was because I was being treated to dinner on my birthday, and ever since whenever I think of Indian cuisine- it’s the only place I recommend.
have a doll- we had this doll called Rosy that was plastic and came with a rabbit in her hand, most of the girls had this doll in different colors and I wanted one.
learn how to read a newspaper because my Father lost focus of the world whenever he had that paper in front of him.
So, what did I want to be when I grow up?
I never thought about it and no one asked me about it…not until I joined primary school and was in Grade 2.
Hannibal– yes, the one that had Mads Mikkelsen. Trust me I have never been so caught up in the art of fine dining and etiquette like I did while watching this series.
I should have typed this or even recorded this letter for it to have gotten to you. 100 years is but a blink of an eye to you, you old soul.
You have seen the best of people and the worst of them and now when you close your eyes, you dream in color- reminisce the days of your prime and weep at the thought of your friends who have gone before you. I hope your limbs do not cause you pain, and that in all, you got to see your nephews and nieces and their children and their grandchildren.
Thank you for braving the seasons where you yearned for endless slumber.
Thank you for loving truly and whole heartedly and for holding the hands of your nephews and nieces.
Thank you for the books you wrote- the stories that have been passed down from one generation to the next.
Thank you for embracing and thriving in a realm so chaotic that you imagined and brought to life beauty.
And so, maybe I’d call you a Centurion-for you definitely have commanded a hundred legionaries of yourself, into this amazing stardust.
And for each breath, I thank you for those little things you did to get here- this right here is love and beauty from the one who is seeing you in her vision now, seated under that mango tree outside your home, the sound of the river winding her way downstream merging with the voices of your loved ones…this right here is her way of saying you did well Stardust, you did well.
I would say that when it comes to the things that money can buy, there is always a place and time to access that.
We buy experiences, things and now can always have a photo or video stored somewhere in cloud storage to remind us of these moments.
I do wish for the things that money cannot buy, people cannot fake or denounce- if there was room to experience an abundance of kindness for nature, people and in the utmost pure form…then that would be the ultimate shopping spree.
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Of course even as I type this my love for stationery is reminding me that I can never have enough of visiting any Miniso store or buying books from Text Book Centre here in Kenya.
A part of me is excited, while the other knows that I cannot sincerely wait to attend the 2025 Nairobi Design Week– because, what else makes life beautiful if not art and creation and appreciation of it?
On reading: I set my Goodreads Challenge at 100 books this year and so far I am at 15 of 100, and the app successfully tells me I’m at 15%. I found myself adding more books to my Netgalley shelf- and here are some titles I am excited about:
I recently took time to reflect on my reading habits and book acquisition and it seems like stacking and buying books comes more easily than reading them as fast, where I would have beat myself up about it last year- this year, I am not. It’s a good thing, and it’s an opportunity for me to ask; is this working for me? Or is it working against me?
nilichoandika 