The Circle of Life
Welcome to my random musings about the world, on a weekly-to-occasional basis.
Where we are: We’re in Bali, unwinding from the stress and busy-ness of the last couple of months. We are tired.
The Circle of Life
If you’ve been reading these newsletters from the beginning, raise your hand.
I’m kidding. I realize that this readership (I think of you as my people) has grown dramatically over the five and a half years that I’ve been sending these missives.
And today I have an update, but the backstory goes all the way back to 2019, to one of the stories that has become a part of who I am. Some of you will immediately remember the story, but some of you will need a refresher, and for some of you, it’s a new tale entirely. I do believe it’s worth telling, though.
So I’m going to give you some links to previous essays, because the backstory matters. If you don’t have time right now to look at those essays, maybe hang on to this until you do, because without that history, the update won’t mean anything to you.
Lee and I met Mula in Ethiopia in 2018. The first time I wrote about him was in the second newsletter I ever sent out; the link is here.
The second time I wrote about him was in 2021. That link is here.
The third time I wrote about him was just a couple of months later; you can read that essay here.
Subsequently, I’ve included very brief updates here (in the headnote) and here (in the last paragraph).
Are you all caught up now?
I know there are ongoing challenges in Ethiopia, and concerns about the food supply. Lee and I spent a few days in the capital back in April, and to our eyes, all was calm there, so I don’t know what the political and humanitarian situation means for daily life outside of the capital, in places like Aksum.
What I do know is that recently we heard some of the best news of 2024: Mula and his wife (Jane) had a baby girl this year! He sent us some photos, and she looks plump and happy and thoroughly adored. I couldn’t be more thrilled for them.
My wish for 2025 is peace on earth, and goodwill to all the world’s people, even—perhaps especially—the ones we don’t know.
Take care,
Lisa
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