Humbling generosity

Today, I went over to Fatima’s house, the woman whose family made my ring and the camel saddle for my brother. It was just to say hi and also to have a small ring-guard made to keep my main one from falling off. She had come over last week to tell me she’d moved, so M. le Maire escorted me to her new house up towards the hills.

As usual, she greeted me with incredible warmth and ushered me into her new house, where some family members were working on dying pieces of leather. She disappeared for awhile, then came back with a friend of hers who wanted to meet me, Urukiatoum. When she sat back down, she handed me a little package wrapped in lined notebook paper. It was a beautiful hand-worked silver pendant on a hand-made silver chain, a present for me.

I am always blown away by her generosity and genuine warmth. It is both humbling and inspiring. Her family is of low caste, leather workers and silver smiths, but she gives me gifts whenever she sees me, to me who comes from the land of plenty. You could say that it’s just so I’ll keep coming back and giving her business, but I don’t think so. She is just a beautiful person.

Next time I go to pick up my little ring, I’m going to give her one of my necklaces from the United States. I want her to be able to keep something to remind her of me the way her gifts will always remind me of her and talented, hard-working family.