Yesterday, on Christmas Eve, we woke up to the reality that we were leaving a family of four Bengalis that we had been adopted into. It was a sweet morning. We awoke to our host mom cooking our favorite breakfast, puri and alu. Mmmm, so much goodness. It's something that to cook, she has to wake up pretty early for because it's time consuming, but as she would say "she did it for her princesses." Love. We all circled around the kitchen area sharing one last breakfast, and feeling the sadness of leaving floating in the air. It was there, but we didn't let it hinder our day. The 5 year-old son walked into the kitchen freezing, so I wrapped a blanket around him and held him in my lap as his mom fed him (yes, the parents feed the kids until they are like ten). I held him close as he rested his sweet little hand on my cheek for one of the last times. Just enjoying life together.
After breakfast, the host dad said he wanted to take us to his old home. Where he grew up, and were he and his wife lived for about 11 years. This meant so much to him, so we all bundled up (because joy jishu it's finally cold) and headed out the door. First, he took us to meet a lady named Grace. She was a 74 year-old spitfire. No words to describe that lady, but she is a beauty inside and out...and I met her for a mere 10 minutes. Some people are just born to be amazing people and she is one of them. The family has kind of taken her on as a grandparent, because her children have sort of left her in this nursing home and never returned. You wouldn't know it, though. This lady has a spirit as though she's never seen a dark day in her life...but you know she has for her to appreciate life like she does. Just wow. Anyways, after meeting Grace, we jumped in an auto and headed to our host dad's old home. It was about a 10 minute ride and 10 minute walk to his neighborhood. We turned down this side road and the door was to the right. I'll never forget this morning. We walked right into the house, or actually room that was the home he grew up in, took our shoes off and stepped right up onto the bed to sit. It was humbling. It was home, and even though our host dad has been blessed to move into a larger space, this is comfort and it is home to him. We were served cha and given an incredibly warm welcome by these people. After a while, we left and went around back to see the house where he and our host mom lived for the first 11 years of their marriage. Same thing. Small little room that is completely filled by a queen size bed, with a kitchen underneath the bed. That's how they do it, and it is well. We sat there for a moment as he told us about those days and then once again headed out the door. He stopped to shortly show us the restroom and shower areas for the thirty people in the surrounding rooms. Incredible. No wonder it's so easy for this family to see God's blessings pouring down on them...there has never been anything to crowd that view.
We went back home and finished packing our things/cleaning up the room, then we all sat around on the bed in our bedroom. The whole family. Just sitting there. Usually there is something to do, somewhere to be, but that day everything stopped/slowed just to absorb life as we have known for 4 months, but not again. Sweetness. Our team leader showed up and we all moved into the kitchen to have lunch. After lunch, we moved into the family's room and all sat on the bed, like Indians do. We sat around in a circle and sang a few hyms. In Hindi and English, which is pretty cool. And then Rada prayed for us as we prepared to walk away from their lives. It was such a powerful prayer, and I couldn't even understand her Hindi words. We said amen and sat their as the host dad told us what we've meant to them for the past four months. He spoke of our importance in the home and how the wonderful memories from the past four months will always be stored in their hearts. He said that they will not be able to forget us, for we have meant so much to them. Of course, we were all crying, but it was a celebration of the gift we've all received from joining together as strangers and becoming a family. Walking out the door, Rada had me kiss both of her cheeks and her forehead. A mom can't be left without a kiss...she always demands them from her actual children, so she wasn't going to let us leave with out requesting the same from us. It was so tender. They stood behind our taxi as we drove away, just waving, crying, and doing their best to smile.
We will see them tonight for one last dinner - in celebration of Christmas, but our goodbye was yesterday. My heart felt/feels it. One last embrace, and we will be on our way out of the city. Tomorrow we head for our debriefing retreat...time to process the first four months as a team and escape Kolkata's craziness before we begin our 24 hour journey home. So close.
But today, our hearts are all joined in celebration of Christmas. I just have to say, I've never felt Christ celebrated like I have this year. As I said on my Facebook, "
Tears.........
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