As we celebrate the International Day of No Self-Hate on April 18, Bertha Mutale, of the Living Compassion girls program, brings us a beautiful tale of Nothing Wrong. In 2017 Bertha sat for her grade 9 exams. In Zambia, that national exam must be passed to proceed to grade 10. She did not pass. She returned to grade 9 and sat again in 2018. She did not pass. Bertha sat again in 2019 but still did not pass.
“What’s her plan for this coming year?” we asked Theresa when we did our annual review from 2019 into 2020. “She plans to try again,” was the response.
Wow. We were all impressed by her tenacity.
In February of this year we learned that she had, once again, not passed. But something crucial had shifted between last time and now—Susan, also in the girls program, has been to tailoring school.
By being a pioneer in attending a skills program, Susan has modeled that not only is the academic track not the only option, it is not the only good option. Susan has finished her program with a tremendous sense of accomplishment and excitement about what lies ahead.
So when Bertha received her “failed” exam results this year, she happily announced to Theresa, “I’m going to tailoring school!”
It’s often only in the rearview mirror that we can see what Cheri points out with “there are no mistakes.” Perhaps when it feels like there is something wrong (I can’t pass these darned grade 9 exams that I MUST pass if I am going to live a life I want to live!), it is simply a reminder to us to relax, allow Awareness to expand, and let Life show us the other (perhaps better!) options.
Much gratitude to this Practice, to our beloved Guide for the gift of Nothing Wrong, and to our intrepid young women in Kantolomba who are living and modeling that, inspiring each of us to live that in our own lives.
Gassho
Jen