More Children to Love

There is an orphanage down the road from Chacko Homes. I very rarely walk that way because the college is in the other direction, so I didn’t even know that the orphanage was there until last week, when I visited it with some of the college students. We went in the afternoon, after classes were over, simply to see the place and to spend a short time with the children who call it home.

When we arrived, there were many children of all ages sitting not-so-quietly in the mess hall, drinking their milky chai and eating bananas. They were talkative kids, and they seemed eager to make friends with these college students who had come for a visit. But I had a hard time. I felt out of place in this sea of children. I can’t speak the language, and, even if I could, would I really know what to say? For a while, I simply followed some of my friends around, smiling shyly at the kids whom they were talking to.

But being in India is one step after another outside the safe, comfortable circle that is my existence; and, knowing that, I decided to stop being such a child myself so that I could start being with the children at this orphanage. The children wanted to put on a small program of singing and dancing for us, so amidst dirty, but oh-so-precious faces, I sat myself down and watched. Some of the older ones turned around to smile at me from time to time. I smiled back as sweetly as I know how and eventually, I started to feel more comfortable with them. There wasn’t much to say because we don’t speak the same language. But, as the afternoon went on, I realized that words aren’t required to show love and compassion.

By the time our group was called to gather together and make our short way back to the college, there were two precious girls clinging to me. They didn’t seem to want to say goodbye. There was no choice, though, so I kissed each girl on top of her head and turned around to wave goodbye as I headed out the door. And I walked home thinking that, unlike so many other things, the more love we take out of our hearts, the more love remains within them.