24 December 2008

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

“Tis a gift to be simple…..” Shaker Hymn

I think we all anticipated that today would be bittersweet; our last day with the children at SEAMs. We spent the evening before preparing gift bags for the children and exclaiming over the individual photos of each child and our favorite quips about these children who wasted no time in making their way into our hearts.
We were eager to arrive at SEAMs – with Harshal in a hastily-fashioned “Santa” costume. The kids went wild – dancing about and grabbing our hands. We played games, gave hugs and then took our seats for an extraordinary set of performances by the children: songs, dances, each more entertaining then the last.
And then we gave out the gift bags – enjoying the looks on the children’s faces as they saw their photos and goodies. This was followed by sharing lunch with all of us arranged around the edge of the room. The older children served the meal and everyone waited patiently and quietly. These children have a maturity beyond their years. They have a generousness that speaks to their life experiences. But most remarkable to all of us, they have a generosity and joy that all of us have learned from.
When it was time to leave, many of us had tears in our eyes, an ache in our hearts and questions in our minds as to what the future holds for these children. I have not the slightest doubt that none of us will forget the experience we had in India. The simple gifts given and received have changed our lives and, we hope, those of the children, as well.

Enid