The people here are very easy to talk to and can usually understand what you are trying to say to them. This lady began to cry and pinch my cheeks, while bowing to me as I washed her feet. She wanted me to stop because she felt so bad that I was taking care of her. This was a tender mercy moment for me. I tried to hold back the tears as I sat thinking how amazing it is to do such a small deed and have someone be so grateful in return. It just shows how badly these people have been cast out. Their families have most likely disowned them because of leprosy and their social status is diminished. The Indian people have the most beautiful smiles you have ever seen. They are so happy and so generous! One man spoke very good English and was joking around with me as I filed down a toenail that looked like a thick branch coming out of his toe. I was very good at this thanks to my dad who taught me how to saw down branches in our yard! After washing feet I walked down the road and found a couple of people sitting in a hut. I asked if I could join them and they bought me a little packet of juice. It tasted like sweet apple juice, not bad. Our advisor was saying that is very rare that they buy anything for anyone else because of the scarce amount of money they have. The lady learned our names and loved when I would take pictures of her. She made me show them to her every time. I would tell her she looked, “Nalarga”, which means beautiful. I won’t do a spell-check on that but that word means good and beautiful.
Down the road there were leprosy-affected people who have become artists and their work is exquisite. I have never seen anything like it in my life! These paintings are what give them a sense of worth. Later it was time to head back to the hostel and get to work. My job was to wash down all the walls that the boys and girls live in at the school. I was lucky and had some surprise helpers that were the highlight of my day. These helpers were four little boys who go to school here and were playing near by because their parents were helping work around the school. They were so willing to help and we made a game out of it. At my house we call it a POWER; which is who can clean the most in the shortest amount of time. The kid’s faces lit up and they went to town on those walls! I am for sure adopting later in life.
One thing that I have learned is that these Indian children are the hardest workers with the most optimistic attitudes I have ever met. Many children in America have been given so much and sometimes because of this I feel lack the will to work hard. Technology and everything else we have make it so our time is so consumed and appliances are able to do most work for us. I know my brothers and sisters work hard but many times are wondering what they get in return. This is not the case here and I have learned so much from everyone around me. I thought I knew what hard work was but I was mistaken big time. The Indians work all day, both men and women. Children have learned what it is to work by example and they see that nothing in life is handed to you for free. I hope that I will be able to teach my kids how to work hard and have the attitudes that these children do. It still shocks me how these kids are what pushed me to keep going and I have never have had so much fun. Our group finished the fastest because of our generous little helpers; we helped sort the entire library books into different sections.
Dinner was on the roof and the view was amazing. It is so green and the sun was setting as we were served on a huge green leaf for a plate. Not long after we ate it was back to work. We were able to clean and organize all the desks for 3 classrooms tonight and we will finish the rest tomorrow. Luckily the weather had cooled off the only downfall was my legs wanted to fall off. I find myself thinking a lot about life while I am here and how valuable every breath we take is. Life is so fragile and it is pointless to sit and think about all the things that we don’t have or things we want. Just being grateful for the little things we have that mean something are things that last forever. You can have nothing and still choose to be happy because life is what we make of it! Everyone in this world is going through something, many times far worse than we think. Love yourself and the life you have; do everything you can to be charitable towards others and you will find it hard to be ungrateful.
