Monday, August 22, 2016

Last Day + Lasting












Every day the girls and I enter into this sewing bubble, where you emerge & it’s 7 hours later (I’ve also had time to teach some of the more curious boys how to sew). But I don’t feel drained. I don’t even want to stop. No one does. Today I showed the girls how to make skirts from t-shirts ~ they’ve been most excited to make clothing. In the evening one of the girls organized a fashion show so they could showcase everything they’ve made this week. It was great! The adults judged—of course everyone got all 10’s :). Tonight’s my last night. I want to stay here. I’ve enjoyed watching the girls grow in their ability just in the few days I’ve been here. I’ve enjoyed evening conversations with Nathalie & her husband and Cokes from glass bottles. I also miss my family & can’t wait to tell everyone about my time here. 

Organize, fine tune, reiterate. These are some of my goals for my last day at Hopewell. I want to provide some sort of ongoing organizational system. They have a good basis now. I’ve been mentioning key things to them all week now it’s up to them to keep it up. And I trust that they will. 

They’ve lived an adult amount of pain; you can see it in their eyes. But they remain full of hope & impetus; you can see it in their eyes. My life from this point on won't be the same. I’m aware that these kids don’t need “stuff—while “stuff” can be helpful—what they really need are people… Honest relationships with people who are willing to take time to show that they care: to teach them about life & other things and to continue sharing their life with them. That is what’s truly empowering & impactful. Isn’t that what we all want?

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