In less than eight hours I leave India.
[sigh.]Of course I miss the Hubster, and I am so happy to get home to him. But my heart longs to stay, to spend time with the daughters in this incredible family I’ve come to know and love.
I thought I would post more often during my stay. But the time has been so full—in a great way. I simply haven’t had enough time to process and put words together. I’ll write more in the coming week, but for now, here are some closing snippets written on location from half a world away.
Fabulous Food
I had curry almost daily, sometimes at all three meals. Amazingly, I’m really not tired of it, but I do miss my usual foods (plain-old animal crackers, granola, fruit, etc.). I’ve even found a new comfort food in Chipati, the soft tortilla-like bread used to eat the curry. One night we had a tandoori chicken dish served with mint chutney; the chutney was so good I could have eaten it like soup. I asked for the recipe, so Mike and I will be having it regularly come grilling season.
Street Happenings
If you are bored in India, just go out to the streets. Here’s a list of the things I’ve seen: stray dogs, cows, goats, and wild hogs (too many to count); Indian wedding festivities (at least five); voting booths; political rallies and celebrations; a camel; priests rolling down the highway for some sort of ritual (two); a pedestrian hit by a vehicle (he was able to hobble away from it, thankfully); women carrying goods on their heads; fruit and vegetable carts; buses and rickshaws crammed with people until bursting; and crazy traffic that weaves together like a choreographed dance (amazingly, without crashing).
Beautiful People, Darling Girls
The people I’ve met have been extremely warm and welcoming. We were greeted with flowers at least three times (which made me feel like a princess), and we were given places of honor (which made me feel sort of awkward).
The girls I met were beyond words! They have taken up a spot in my heart and mind, and I willingly make room for them! I wish I could stay to help them with their English and their studies so their dreams would come true. My heart broke today when the little ones said, “Erin Didi, come! We want to play with you!” . . . and I couldn’t, because we had to leave. A heart that loves much, aches much.
If you haven’t seen these girls, visit the As Our Own Facebook page (and give it a Like!). Almost all the photos there are of the daughters in the family, the very ones I’ve been privileged to meet.
