Do You Know What You're Missing?

Sunday was quite an eventful day. We had another special lunch (with cake!) provided by a sponsor who came to celebrate their daughter's 2nd birthday with the children here. We also had several family visitors, and thanks to my wonderful mom and sister (Dovey and Kitten, respectively) and their love-filled bundles, we had lots of new activities to do! The late afternoon was filled with frisbee, rocket balloons, face paint, beaded bracelets, and treats.

Meow.

Visits from the family can be bitter sweet. Sometimes the child is here because their family simply cannot provide for them, but wish they could and clearly love their children very much. Then there are the true orphans and the abandoned, those who don't get visitors, but you can tell they desperately wish they did. It breaks my heart to see them watching, longing for that connection that the others have. A connection to whatever a 'normal' life is, a connection with a 'normal' family.

Suraj and his mother during a weekend visit

There are also parents who seem to come every once in a while out of obligation, the ones who've dropped their kids here to get them out of their hair so that they could afford to live selfishly without the burden of a child. Such is the case with little Nithin (3 1/2) and Nishmitha (5). From what I have been told, their mother brought them here because they were a 'hindrance to her happiness,' and during past visits had refused to see Nithin all together. When she arrived yesterday with a new unknown man in tow (such is her pattern), the two little ones stood hesitantly next to her not sure of what to do at first. This surprised me since they will run full speed into our arms and smother us with hugs and kisses if they haven't seen us for just a few hours. She stayed for a short time, feeding them candy and biscuits, and when she left them sobbing at the gate, we were there to pick up the pieces. I cannot fathom how a mother could leave her children without so much as a tear to be shed, how she can waste these precious moments that will be gone in the blink of an eye. Nithin and Nishmitha bring everyone around them such joy, and I wish she knew what she was missing. I have grown especially attached to these beautiful babies and already dread the day when I leave here and am forced to say my goodbyes. There is something different about Nithin and Nishmitha, the two youngest here. They love without reservation or hesitation. They will give you their whole heart and you can see that receiving love in return fills them with pure and innocent joy. Like all of the children here they are gracious, caring, adaptable, adorable, affectionate, and sweet.

Nithin and Nishmitha

It is amazing that out of such trials, all of these children have risen to be the best they can be. To show love and give care to each other to the capacity that they do is incredible, coming from a life where they knew little or no love, and where they had no one to care for them. These children have their priorities straight, something most adults still have trouble with. It just goes to show how much we really can learn from them.