It is amazing how their strength never ends.
Game
after game, activity after activity, and still they will ask "que vamos
hacer?" Even after every activity, endless smiles and
laughs.
I
wonder if they know. Instead of us blessing them, it is them that are
blessing me.
I
learn so much by just observing.
Bea teaches me to be adventurous...
Do
you see her?
Way
up there with Joana.
Here...
take a closer look.
Adventurous
and unafraid.
Her
prize: guavas.
I
bribe her for one. "Does Tio Osvaldo let you climb that
tree?"
She
gave me the biggest one.
She
sits with Joana, peals one Guava, two, three... and devours one at a
time.
I
asked her where all guavas fit, and she shows me her stomach.
One
here, one here, one here... as if abdominals muscles, a sick pack of guavas.
She smiles - proud.
Are
we? Do we enjoy an adventure for a guava? Two? Three? Six? Are we too
afraid to climb a tree? Too afraid to try? Do we have an adventurous
friend to encourage us? Are we too afraid to be adventurous on our own?
Debora teaches me to share.
She, unlike Bea, likes to share.
We get fresh juice when you suck the orange straight from the fruit. Oh,
these girls are not wild. They know how to wash, clean and peal the
oranges in a perfect way to maximize the best part of it's flavor. and they
don't eat it alone. It is shared.
"Tiempo!" they shout as they
run to Debora with a bucket filled with oranges. They sit on the flow an
enjoy the treat. Flavorsome. Juicy. Sweet. Dripping.
Tiempo!
Do we? Are we so busy that we can't
take a minute, two, to simply enjoy such a gift? Do we say
"later" and never get it? And if we do enjoy it later, do
we share the moment? Do we take a "tiempo" late at night when
our tasks are not done, or before sleep when we are too tired
to enjoy it?
I learn to accept my consequence from Evenlyn.
Evelyn is the youngest. She loves
to smile and she is not left behind. She can keep up with the rest.
She is also sneaky and knows how
to get away with her mischievous ideas with simply a smile.
Today we colored special art.
Therapy art.
One color at a time.
The rule was that is they wined or
fight they will get a 2 minute time-out.
Evelyn was the first to get a time
out.
She recognized her behavior, remember
the rule and took her spot gracefully.
Gracefully.
No complaints. No excuses. No
blaming. She accepted her consequences and simply sat in the
time-out chair.... and waited.
When was the last time I 'not
complained'?
I know my consequences and
still I complain. I grumble, stomp our feet, and throw a pity
party. I refuse, or tell others so they can take MY side.
I do it all except take my 'time-out' seat.
Not Evelyn. She knows she got in
trouble, and she accepted her consequences. It is after-all only
two-minutes. She smiles again.
They teach me to laugh...
Belly hurting laughing.
First
it was races.
Then
"futbol".
Then
a break for fruits.
They a
made-up game. More laughs.
A
made- up chant. They role laughing.
They
jump over each other. They jump over Rob. More laughing.
They
laugh at me for sitting in a kid's swing. They laugh as Adrea
falls from swing. They laugh again at some joke in Guarani.
They
keep playing, keep laughing, keep smiling.
Then
they ask, what is next? "Que vamos hacer?"
They
are not tired for "what is next". They are ready, Willing. Able.
And
they are smiling. No, not smiling, belling-hurting laughing.
