A sense of belonging is one of the hardest feelings to establish and be at peace with. Where do we belong? Who do we belong to? Especially in our 20s a sense of belonging is ambiguous. People are constantly coming into and leaving our lives. We transition between school and our parents' houses. We don't know what the future holds or where we will "settle down". So how do we belong?
So far in this journey, I have spent time wondering where I belong. I have settled into my work and am enjoying my time at Daya Dan but because of language barriers, cultural differences, and a relative lack of knowledge compared to the Mashis who run the homes, I still feel at times that I don't belong.
Everyday at 10:30, we break for tea and crackers. This is our chance to talk with the other volunteers at Daya Dan. We talk about why we are here, what we have been doing, our struggles, our triumphs, our feelings. We talk about Mother Teresa. We talk about God. We are all so different, but we all belong. We are like a patchwork blanket. Individually we are each a little square and we are relatively insignificant, but we are all connected through threads of love, faith, and a sense of duty. This allows us to find peace within one another and create that mysterious sense of belonging. This allows us to bring in new volunteers and incorporate them in a way where they can be their own beautiful selves, while adding the the overall beauty of our blanket. When somebody leaves, our blanket does not fall apart, it just changes in appearance a bit.
Because we can draw strength from one another, we can start to belong to Daya Dan. We can start to belong to Mother Teresa's mission. We can start to belong to Kolkata. I am so thankful for the love and support that the other volunteers have offered me so far. They have allowed me to find peace and belonging. Without it, I would be one simple little square of cloth floating down the littered streets of Kolkata.
-Bri Jones, '17
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