My class. Normally, when they take pictures, they all try to look serious. But one of the girls moved and they all started laughing - and I caught this picture. And honestly, we all laugh through class anyway, so this is much more accurate.
Proof that I'm there too. But aaaaaaaah why don't they smile?!
Three from the right - Zareen, my lovely sometimes-translator. Three from the left (with the braids), one of the most beautiful faces I've ever seen.
Queen Victoria Memorial. Pretty. :-)
"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything." - 1 John 3:16-20
When I first sat down to write this post, I had no clue how to tie together everything that I've experienced in the past week. I've taught a bunch of classes and worked at Kalighat. Though both are difficult and emotionally trying, I've been very...calm. Comfortable. I've had experiences that have been completely new and a little shocking, but through it all, I've been...peaceful? Thus, trying to figure out what to write has been difficult. Teaching - amazing. Kalighat - amazing. But what to write about them?
And then I remembered the quote I read on a chalkboard in the Motherhouse yesterday, after Adoration (which was also amazing): "real love cannot be explained using words, only actions" and then some other stuff. I don't remember the whole thing. But it got me thinking - I've always been a big fan of 1 John 3:18 (oh hey Sam Toeller!). So much, in fact, that it's one of my "theme verses" for my time in India. Loving with actions, rather than words. I think that we often try to explain love as if it's an emotion, or a sentiment. We tell people we love them. But without the actions to back it up, what does that mean? Since I've been here, I've been extremely convicted to make sure that my view of love is not emotion-based, but action-based. Friendship love. Brotherly / sisterly love. Romantic love. Love of all people. Love of God. If I don't show people that I love them, through time, service, support, etc., how will they know? If I don't show God that I love Him, do my emotions really make a difference? I can say that I love God, but if I'm not giving my life to actively serve Him, I don't think saying it every so often really counts. Relationships take time, not just statements.
I've been at Kalighat for a week now. And I've found that the more I'm there, the more I love it, and the more I love it, the more I want to be there. A few days ago, a woman named Kamala came in. Her first day, she had two volunteers with her nearly the whole time, so I was with other women. Her second day, I somehow ended up next to her. She was thin, barely moving, wheezing when she breathed, quite old (maybe, it's difficult to judge age here), with long, tangled, silver hair. There was a bowl next to her bed into which she coughed blood and phlegm. Super. So I sat there, and stroked her hair and held her hand and rubbed her back and watched for her chest to convulse so I could put the bowl in front of her. And listened to her talk about...something. I'm not sure what. When the women talk for long amounts of time, and are clearly trying to tell me something different than "blanket" or "food," I imagine what they're saying as they're saying it. I have entire stories made up for the women to whom I've listened, about husbands, children, mothers, and once, I swear a woman told me a recipe for curry.
And as I got to know Kamala, I realized that I really just wanted to sit there with her. I often sit and talk with Holu, Asha, Laila and a few other women, but, for the last three days, I've mainly been with Kamala. Two days ago, a doctor listened to her breathe with a stethoscope, and diagnosed a collapsed lung and congestive heart failure, and added "she's not well at all." She didn't tell me how long she'd have to live, and I didn't ask. So I combed her hair and French braided it, so the Sisters wouldn't have to cut it off. I figured Kamala probably wouldn't be a fan of someone cutting her hair. It was quite long. And right after I finished, she twisted it up into a bun. I didn't think her hands would be that dexterous, nor her arms that strong. She had difficulty sitting up.
Since I've been with her, she's recognized me when I walk in, and she's been more comfortable with me. The first day, she was kind of distant, but the past two days, when I held her, she leaned against me and talked with me. I imagine she told me about the family that should have been there with her. Usually, the sisters encourage us to interact with all of the women...but they didn't get angry with me for being with Kamala. And I think Kamala and I both appreciated that.
I was going to go to Kalighat this morning, but I had forgotten to plan for Apne Aap today. So I slept in (10:30 - whoa), and bought candy for my students (pictured at the top!!), because I taught a lesson today on numbers and requesting things. What would you like, I would like, how many, do you have, I have, this, that, these, those, all, some, many, none. I placed all the candy (three different types) in the middle of the circle, and asked each girl which one they would like, and how many, and then separated the candy into three piles and asked them which ones they would like. They had to answer with something like "one of that, two of these, and one of this," using "this" for singular, close objects, "that" for singular, far objects, "these" for plural, close objects, and "those" for plural, far objects. And today, I had no translator. It was awesome. The girls and I had so much fun - they somehow picked up the word "enjoy," so they said "I enjoy class" over and over, and one girl said "I enjoy you." Hehe. Whenever I have them write sentences (often), they always work in something about me. When we studied "what do you like?" a bunch wrote "I like Ani." And who-what-where-when-why-how turned into "who is your favourite teacher?" I promise this isn't why I love teaching. But it's really nice to have such an encouraging group of girls, who openly express enjoyment of my two-hour-long class, joyously teach me Bengali and passionately complete the homework I assign. I feel extremely blessed to have such an amazing group for my first class. Oh...and they're probably the same age as me. I think most are eighteen.
Anyway, I got to Kalighat around four today (rather than three), because for the past two days, my taxi drivers have placed me in spots that are definitely not Kalighat. I walked to Kamala's bed, and she wasn't there. The volunteer next to her kinda half-smiled and shook her head, beckoned me over, and said "she died this morning." Oh. I walked into the common room for a few seconds, hugged my friend Jeff, and walked back in. Because there are lots of other patients. Holu was crying and clutching her stomach, and no one was with her - so I asked her kaemon achen? (how are you) and kothay? (where), and she pointed, and it was probably ovarian, she's young, so it could have even been menstrual pain - so I gave her a foot massage, and she calmed down. And then I helped distribute food, cleaned after dinner, washed dishes, joked with some Australians about the height of kangaroos, butchered some French with two volunteers from France, and went up to the roof for tea with the rest of the volunteers. A few volunteers asked me how I was, and honestly, I'm fine. Completely fine. Kamala was in a lot of pain, and looked very much at peace when she was sleeping before she died. She was old, I think. And I had prayed for her for awhile yesterday. So, nope, I feel fine. There are lots of other women at Kalighat to love. ...but I still swiped her name card before the Sisters could throw it away, which means her death affected me enough to cause me to steal from nuns. Uh...
Anyway, I'm learning that love isn't about how someone makes you feel, or even the inexplicable connection or chemistry between two people. It's about support, service, and doing everything you can to meet that person's needs. And needs are not the same as wants. Some women in Kalighat want two blankets - no. They get one. But when they're in pain - we're there. They need someone there, to give them a massage, a shoulder to lean on, a hug, some water - because otherwise they'd be dying on the streets. And please know that I'm aware that I need to take care of myself too. I'm not skin to skin touching the women with scabies. I promise. But I'm learning a lot about being who these women need me to be, for a few hours a day.
I don't think this post was anywhere near as focused as I wanted it to be.
But now it's 9:35, which means it's 9:05 in the States - OBAMA TIME.
Love and i-would-like-five-candies,
Stephanie
