Boarding School Visit

This afternoon I was picked up by Operation Shanti's Driver and we went to collect some of the mothers and grandmothers and children to go and visit the children that are in the Boarding School here..some of the street kids that Operation Shanti placed in the school. We took the rest of the shoes that we had for those kids....
There was no way I could have even attempted to pull out my camera..I wanted to, many times...as the children were so beautiful and excited to see us there for the once monthly visit..but you see, the school has an enrollment of 4000 students...
Yes, Four Thousand kids are in the school. It is huge....and most all of them were outside and we had a HUGE crowd gathered around us. So you see, if i would have even reached for my camera and one of them would have seen it...it would have been utter Chaos!

I can tell you that tears were shed today...not only by me, but by some of the children who saw their mothers for the first time in one month...some cried because their moms didn't come today...it was without a doubt a VERY emotional day for many of us.

The children received some lunch stuff that was prepared ahead of time and brought with us...some chapatis with jam, custard, crackers, buns with filling....some kids got a Pepsi and a cadburry bar! They LOVED their shoes~ they each came up to me, their eyes all big and happy and they looked me in the eye and took my hand and said "Thank You"...it meant so much...I wish you all could have been there.
At one point I had to use the restroom....and I was chaperoned by 20 little boys! But before i walked into the Huge Massive boys bathroom...I said to them all "Don't any of you come in here"...."I mean it!" and they didn't. But they all waited outside for me until I was done and they walked me all the way back!

There was one boy in particular that caught my interest....he just looked wise beyond his years, as many of the children in India seem to look. If you Really stop and Look at them, deeply, as I do...
He told me his name...which escapes me now...but what he told me I will never forget...he told me that he is 15 years old (he looked 12), I asked him how many years he has been at the Boarding school...he told me 6 years. I asked him if he missed his family and if he was happy there...he said he is very happy there and he does not miss his family.
He said after he finishes his next year, the 10th grade, that he wants to go to college and become a Software Engineer. He has big dreams...and I hope his dream comes true.
I then asked him about the sleeping conditions at the school...did they each have their own bed? How many kids share one room?
He told me that 50 kids share one room...and no, they have no beds...there are too many kids to each have their own bed..he told me that they each get a mat that they roll out and they sleep on the cement floor....I immediately felt such sadness for him and the children..but this boy then looked at me and said "It is very nice, I am comfortable on my mat"

You know..its all about the attitude that people have....I have come to realize that on this trip to India...being with these kids who have nothing. Nothing...and yet look at how happy they are with what little they do have.
Wouldn't it be a wonderful thing..for everyone to stop next time they Think they have it so bad...and remember that?
I know damn well I will....