Two days left in Udaipur….
We are appreciating every last moment we have here up until that final hour.
Today we brought in speakers and music for the orphanage boys to play a game of musical statues. Watching them put their arms around each other and dance to the Bollywood tunes was one of the highlights of this trip so far. The further the game progressed, the more the students got into the music. Pretty soon ninety orphanage boys were dancing in circle, laughing and singing along to "Om Mongolum" and "Desi Girl". Just like Allie, Ariana, and I, but, of course, they knew all the Hindi words as well.
It still boggles my mind how happy these boys can be with what little they have. Their playground consists of a rocky field with a few patches of grass, monkey bars, and a swing set with no swings. Yet, they still laugh and play games like any other group of boys, seemingly unaware that they are any less fortunate than anyone else.
Tomorrow, we will be saying goodbye to them and I know it is going to be an emotional event. We have been their teachers for over five weeks now and leaving feels slightly like an abandonment. I wonder if they know how much they have made a difference in our lives or if we have made any significant difference in theirs. I wonder if the new volunteers who are to become their new teachers know how lucky they are to be involved in these kids' lives.
I hope.
I hope with all my heart that those five weeks made a difference, that they remember us after we're gone, and that they go on to learn much more from their new teachers.
But even if they don't, even if they forget about us by next week, I can take solace in the fact that the are still probably those happy boys running barefoot on that rocky field and dancing to "Desi Girl", huge white smiles plastered on their faces….
They are totally going to start laughing at us tomorrow when we start balling right in front of them….
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