Stories to Share

Hello Friends and Family,

As most of you may know, we are all safely back in the states, and boy is it an adjustment coming back! I just wanted to share some final thoughts on our journey in Kolkata and my own personal journey.

It's easy to say that the trip was incredible, I learned a lot, and I loved the experience, but what does that really tell you? Not a whole lot. On our last night of reflection, we brainstormed different ways to explain our experiences in Kolkata.  What Jerry and Allison suggested was sharing a couple of stories that were pivotal or really stuck with us. So many stories rushed to my mind but a couple really stand out.

One day at Daya Dan, one of the sisters came up to me and asked me if I would hold Mongol, a little boy with cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and mental delay, because he was sick and needed some extra love and affection.  Gladly, I sat down with him and cradled him in my arms.  His arms and legs shook and he looked so uncomfortable.  I stroked his head, rubbed his arms and legs, and tried talking to him or softly singing. He was kind of looking up at me, then all of a sudden his legs and arms stopped shaking, his eyes shut, and he fell asleep.  Tears were jerked from my eyes as I looked at this beautiful boy, peacefully asleep.  I may not have made his illness go away, but I gave him some extra time, love, and a little bit of a peaceful rest. I am grateful and privileged to have given that time to this beautiful boy.

On the last day at Daya Dan, the sisters, Massis, and all of the physically capable girls sang a song for us. It went like this:

 

We thank you, thank you, Auntie,

We thank you, thank you, Uncle,

We thank you, thank you, thank you from our hearts! (repeat)

 

We love you, love you, Auntie,

We love you, love you, Uncle,

We love you, love you, love you from our hearts! (repeat)

 

We miss you, miss you, Auntie,

We miss you, miss you Uncle,

We miss you, miss you, miss you from our hearts! (repeat)

 

Needless to say, I definitely cried. It was beautiful and absolutely perfect. At the end of the song, a girl Argina walked up to me, and for the first time in the three weeks that I had been there, she placed her hands in mine, and looked into my eyes.  It was shocking because she is "stuck in her own world" and doesn't really reach out, but there she was, looking at me, into my eyes, holding my hands.  I was blown away and my heart was warmer than it had ever been.

 

This trip really did change me. It's tough to explain, but I'm feeling more alive and happier than I've ever been.  My eyes and my mind are open in ways they haven't been before. The people I've met, things I've seen, and the tragedies and joys I witnessed have taught me so much about life and love and I intend on carrying that through with me for the rest of my life.

 

So, although the trip ended, it's not an end, but rather a new beginning. This trip has opened up doors for me that I didn't even know were there. My time in Kolkata is not over, I'll be back.

 

Although I left Kolkata, Kolkata never left me. It's in my heart and it will stay there forever.

 

Namaste,

Bri Saunders