Fiona asked me to write today's entry....I guess a few of our frequent readers have started to question whether I would survive the first 48 hours (Thanks, guys!). So here I am, bruised, battered, and amazingly sore (more on that later), but very much alive and kicking.
If 30 hours on planes and in airports wasn't enough to completely throw the body out of whack, the plane ride was a spa treatment compared to the boot camp I was about to enter. While I had tried to mentally prepare myself for anything, I was completely overwhelmed I crossed the threshold of the orphanage. Instantly upon our arrival, I heard a child yell out something in Nepali (which I can only assume meant "Tree!"). Suddenly, I was swarmed by children trying to climb me. Big ones, small ones, young ones, older ones...They just kept coming and coming! Each one was desperate to make an impression. First came endless renditions of Jingle Bells (I really need to teach them some new Christmas Carols!), then came a stream of gymnastic stunts, meant to be bigger and better than the last. Finally, the children would try to one up each other in the title they gave me. I went from "Tom" to "Tom Sir" to "Brother" to "Uncle" to "Father" to "Father and Mother" (the highest honor one can bestow) in the course of just a few hours.
There are three children in particular, who are particularly competitive for my affections: Bipen, Anu Maya, and Anu. I literally can't get 5 feet without one, two or all three of them pulling at me persistently. In the picture, I had just sat down, when all three made a mad dash to make sure they were positioned as close to me as possible. Fiona, being quite amused at my being a piece of playground equipment, pulled out her camera, causing all three to instantly pose for a picture.
So, after countless dead lifts to give hugs, or "Superman"s above my head, my hamstrings and triceps are ready to snap. Combine that with sleeping on a bed where the mattress is the equivalent of a thick blanket and plywood for a box spring, and my body is in a full revolt. But strangely enough, I still find it impossible to say "No" when one of them rushes up to me with an ear-to-ear grin on their face.
This leads to the serious part of my entry, dear readers. I was complete unprepared for how much attention a child needs to thrive. Yes, they are well cared for...Clothed, bathed, fed, and Michael makes a point to tuck each child into bed personally each night. But it doesn't replace every child's need to be the center of an adult's world. I'm sure several of you got a good chuckle at my being referred to as "Mother" (ok, I might have chuckled at that one a little as well), but it shows how desperate these children are for the intense, personal love and attention that should have been their God given right. And I question how I, a person who's never spent more than about 30 minutes interacting with a child in my adult life, can fulfill this need for so many. It's only been 2 days, but I'm already physically exhausted. But mentally, I'm amp'd up, because failure is not an option. I owe it to these kids, and to all of you who have given so generously to the cause, to give it my all. I've got 26 more days, and I plan to make the most of it.
Namaste,
Tom
1 comment:
Hey Tom! A 'tree' huh? We'll have to start calling you 'Ent' as in Lord of the Rings! Ha, ha! :-)
And I can see four people posing in that pic, not just three ....... it looks like you're having a fantastic time and clearly the relationships you and Fi are building are really rewarding in both directions. No doubt it will be very hard to leave at the end of your time in Nepal :-)
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