Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow

Getting out of bed is almost always difficult for me, but today was especially difficult.  I knew that the day had come to say our goodbyes to the children at Sri Sai Nagar School and while I knew this day was unavoidable since we started our journey, I hadn’t realized just how quickly today had come.  There are still so many things I want to teach the children and so many stories I want to hear, but our time has come to an end.  Rather than reminiscing on the past and trying to think of things I could have done better, I like to think about how much the children have done for all of us and hopefully all that we have done for the children.

As we drove up the hill to Sri Sai this morning, the children were all anxiously awaiting our arrival in front of the school with smiles, gifts, as well as a performance to commemorate the last eight weeks we had spent together; it was at this performance that I witnessed the vast effect we had on their lives.  They found a new self-confidence that I had not seen when we first arrived and they grasped the beginnings of a language that can offer them many possibilities in the future.  These children, our children, were genuinely thankful for the time we had spent with them and they told us, using Leela as a translator, that we were their brothers and sisters and that they will never forget us.  They sang songs, including If You’re Happy and You Know It, and they danced.  They even pooled their money together to give us a gift to take home.  After the performance, we all assembled in our different classrooms one last time to give the students a gift, including a group picture for them to remember us by, and to say goodbye to the children we had gotten to know so well in our different classes.  It was here that many of our children broke down.  They were heartbroken that we had to leave and they pleaded with us to stay using all the English vocabulary they could muster: “India your home Soren anna,” and “Please don’t leave.”  After what seemed like far too little time, we said our final goodbyes with hugs and the secret handshake they taught us.

As this is my last blog here in India, I would like to take this time to express just how life changing and meaningful this journey was for me.  I will never forget my time here in India and I will greatly miss the children.  I find peace through my experiences here and I hope with all my heart that our children will never lose their spark and drive.  I think we taught them the power of knowledge and education and if we have changed the life course of just one student, then this journey will have been a great success.

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