Let's Get Physical!

Oh today. It started out so bright and shiny and then quickly got out of control...fast. We were assigned the task of doing physicals on standards (grades) 2-5. They were quite the rowdy bunch. We had a great system going for the first twenty minutes and then the bell rang and all heck broke loose. There were kids everywhere and we couldn't tell which ones were supposed to be getting checked and which ones were just hanging around. Kids were hanging off of us and grabbing our tools and screaming in our ears, it got a little stressful and I wondered how pediactric nurses don't go insane. But after recess was over things calmed down a bit, the kids still had to be told what to do every other minute...to stay in line, not touch this or that, or to go back to their class about a zillion times. Some of the children were absolute dreams, like Chandru, who had only been there for two days. He is in ukg (kindergarden) and his parents brought him all dressed up in a tie. I melted the second I saw him and he was so well behaved the whole time I completed his physical. I just wanted to cuddle him all day long.

Checking Vision (this one's for Dad)

The physicals ended up going over time which meant that we went straight from doing physicals all morning and until four o'clock and then went straight to our job of cutting fruit and veggies for dinner and then straight to playtime until we ate dinner at 6:30. It was a loooong day, but once I got to play time and got to interact with the children and just have fun rather than trying to reign them in I was completely rejuvenated. I ended up sitting with a group of six girls and just talking and playing games. One of which, G. Devi, told me that I was one of her five friends at Rising Star. I really like her cause she is one of the spunkiest twelve year olds that I know and her English is really good so he translates for me frequently. I enjoyed the girl time and being a human pillow. The children here are so affectionate. It has been interesting for me to adjust to having children hang on me all the time and hold my hand and lay on my lap no matter their age. I am really beginning to love these children and become attached. I love that I have been able to form relationships with them already, but it will be all the harder to leave.

At family time tonight, I helped one of my girls named Theresa with her chemistry. I was so impressed with her diligence and determination to study the chemical names and subjects. I am also impressed with how well the younger girls can sleep through the constant noise in the other room. The smaller children go to bed at 8:00pm and the older girls go to bed at 9:00pm. Each of the "houses" consists of three bedrooms with a small room attached to if for the house mother. The girls just lay down a mat on the cement floor when it is time for bed and just fall right asleep. Watching them sleep right there on the floor makes me appreciate what I consider to be the rock solid beds that we have here at Rising Star. I am just lucky to have a mattress.

I realized today that I think this experience has given me an opportunity to really look for ways to serve other people. After the long day that I had doing physicals and then after cutting all that fruit, I noticed that the kitchen floor was quite dirty and could use a good sweep. I asked one of the women who cleans the volunteer hostel if she knew where a broom was and when she figured out why I was asking, started to sweep it herself. I quickly told her that I was happy to do it and got to work. With sweat dripping down my face and back, I think I swept every inch of that floor and despite the heat, felt the best I had all day. It is so true that service can make you happy. Its hard to be grouchy in a place where you are doing service 24/7 and where the people you serve are so lovable.

Chandru