Outside my gate

This morning as I sit in my living room sipping my homemade pumpkin spice latte (yes even here I enjoy a little taste of fall!), the sounds just outside my gate door are filling my morning with smiles and a grateful heart.

The sounds of the goats and sheep as the rummage for food, bleating, baa-ing and crying for their babies to come and join them. Sometimes I have to get up and check and make sure it isn't a human kid that's crying or yelling. They meander around under our shade trees soaking up the cooler air and trying not to be scared off by the dogs just behind the door.

The sounds of the motos and taxis as they drive by, honking their horns to warn people or ask them to get out of their way, shouting greetings to people they know, reeving their engines to go just a bit faster, squeaky brakes over the bump, backfires. So many people always going somewhere. Walking, riding, driving. Always people going.

The sounds of my husband hard at work, banging away with the hammer, sawing some wood for some new backboards for the basketball team he's coaching. He's so dedicated, so creative, so loving. He's going to paint them blue and orange with white stars because the team is The Stars (only in French) :) He planned it all out last night, went and got the measurements, and left early this morning to get everything he needed in the market. Even though it's a bazillon degrees outside, he's pounding away. Oh how I love that man!

The sounds of the neighborhood kids playing as they do every morning under our shade trees. Laughing, crying, yelling at one another, laughing some more. Just being kids. Yelling greetings at us until we respond. Asking for "buud saapo" (50 cfa or about 5 cents). Asking for a bon bon. Then back to playing noisily. Some days we ask them to leave because they are really noisy, but today they can play. Today they can enjoy the shade and the cool wet sand and laugh to their hearts content.

The sounds of the rooster crowing loudly. Oh so loudly. Both near and in the distance. And the mother hen softly clucking to her baby chicks. Roosters at this time of day are fine, but 5 am is another matter :)

The sounds of the women stopping to greet one another on their way to market or home from market. Low, breathy, sometimes nasally greetings. How are you? How did you wake up? How's the family? How's the baby? How is the morning? Lots of greetings. Lots of friendships.

The sounds of the moms yelling for their kids. Binta! Come here! I need you to take this to someone. You need to stop playing and come back from down the road and come inside to get something that is practically right beside me :) It's about priorities and knowing your place in life. I love that! Why don't we do that in America?

The sounds of the light breeze passing through our shade trees. Leaves hitting one another, branches swaying, the breeze rustling and shaking loose some bright orange flowers making them drift slowly to the ground. Sigh.

The sounds of the birds that have come to roost in the trees and in the bougainvillea bushes. Tons of them making their nests, flitting around, chirping and singing sweet little songs to one another. Coming to sit on the window sill and singing to me their songs. Big sigh.

The sounds of my life all around me. The life that God has led me to. The life that I am eternally grateful for. The life that I love. The life that I'm supposed to have right now, right here.

Today I will rest and enjoy these sounds just outside my gate.