A photo a day, number 18: Mombasa, Kenya

timothyallen (70)in #photography • 6 years ago

I met this young girl whilst filming a documentary about a family who lived and worked at a rubbish dump on the outskirts of the city of Mombasa in Kenya. Of course, in many ways it is a sad photograph when you know these circumstances. Another truth is that she was enjoying herself very much playing on that railway line.
I have 3 young children of my own. I feel that one of my most vital duties as a father is to teach them the importance of gratefulness. In my experience, who ever you are and whatever kind of life you are living, we all have things to be grateful for. I think that too many people compare their lives with those who seem to be better off than themselves. When we do this, we think the grass is always greener... we lose our appreciation for the things that we have in life... we stop the flow of gratefulness.

Anyone who takes a good, hard look at life can easily see that it is cruel to everyone in some way... We all suffer. We all experience tragedy... and then... we all disappear and die... forgotten in a short matter of time.
The trick to a fulfilling life is to find a purpose... something that means something to you.
Purpose will always propel you through the journey of life. Whatever you are going through. Be it tragedy or success... or something in between. Purpose doesn't care.
Purpose is the thing that makes you live life to the fullest DESPITE its inherent tragedy.

Good luck finding your purpose.

@timothyallen