There is a terrible hunger for love. We all experience that in our lives- the pain, the loneliness. We must have the courage to recognize it. The poor, you may have right in your family. Find them. Love them.
- Mother Teresa
This week I am heading to India, but before I start thinking about that I must process the past couple of weeks especially, this one moment of utter beauty and pain wrapped in a bundle in a 14 year old girl. She shines shoes in a RLD, begging for money. Last night was her birthday, she turn 14. We met her around 10:30pm on the streets to wish her a happy birthday. Several weeks ago, she asked us to attend her birthday party. We gave her small gifts, wished her happy birthday, and sat with the kids for awhile. As we were leaving, I saw her, her two older sisters and a friend sitting crossed-legged on the ground, eating street vendor noodles with a big birthday cake with the candles lit and a couple of beers. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen and one of the most sad.
We, humans, all long to belong to something or to someone or to a group of someones. We all desire to be loved and to love. We want someone to know when it is our birthday and to celebrate it. Here in the middle of a Red Light District, a 14 year old girl found just that: love, acceptance and relationship. A place where she is known. She was legitamately happy. I forgot where I was in that moment. I could have been in someone's home or Buffalo Wild Wings, but the reality is we were on the streets at midnight in a notorious RLD with 7, 14 and 17 year olds. They weren't having a sleep over and yelling at their 7 year old sister to head to bed because she is too young to be there. Instead, they were doing what they know a birthday party to look like. This is their reality. This is where she believes she belongs. This is the place she looks for love and in some ways, finds it.
What can we take away from this? I am still not sure yet. I think it could be profound, but I am not there yet. Any insights?
But for now, I leave you with the thought of "who exactly are the poor?". Who is it that will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven? Where are the poor? Are they in your own family? Next door? Maybe the mirror is as far as you need to look. Take Mother Teresa's advice: Go FIND THEM and LOVE THEM.
Let you know how India goes! Cant wait.
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thank you.
ReplyDeletei would like to believe that love is like those hardy weeds that grow in sidewalk cracks or the thistle that spreads underground, impossible to weed out completely- or a mustard plant, if you will. and i think children without mothers make family - however tenuous the ties.
say hi to our mother for me.
i think ty called us sharonpeters - it's me.