Reminders of Love

The Earth has made almost one complete orbit around the sun since I’ve been with the children in room 1 at Peace Village. Not one of the 365 days has passed without me at some point, feeling as though I was transported through time and space back to that place.  Sometimes my virtual visit is no more than a brief 10 second glance, and other times I linger longer peering into cribs, marveling at imagined new accomplishments and growth spurts. Some days I allow myself the time to sit on the floor, feeling their soft skin, warm breath, and the weight of their little bodies as I become their jungle gym.

A friend recently asked how it could be that I find joy in the midst of these children when they are such graphic reminders of the atrocities of war. After babbling on about all the things I love about them and all the joy they bring, I heard myself say “They are SO much more than reminders of war, they’re also great reminders of love.”

As a result of that conversation I’ve been thinking about how these children embody such a wide spectrum of the human condition. Their physical distortions remind me of what humanity becomes responsible for when we allow fear to escalate into hatred and war. At the same time their spirits reveal all that we’re capable of when we live from a place of love and trust. Each precious little body, a sacred container of mysterious wholeness. They've been born into brokenness with an indestructible drive to survive and to love.

These kids manifest love and courage by simply being who they are, moment by moment. And by being who they are without cosmetics or cures, they shine a bright light exposing our undeniable collective human shadow.

Maybe I’m drawn to the children because they provide a mirror, allowing me to see myself more fully.  When I see and hold their broken bodies, I somehow sense my own brokenness by realizing the destruction I’m capable of when I speak and act from a place of over inflated ego and fear. And when I witness their amazing grace and fortitude, I realize my own courage and capacity to trust and love. I’m finding that the more I’m able to learn about myself, embracing the shadow as well as the light, the fuller life becomes and the more I have to offer.

I'm so grateful for these reminders of love that come 365 days later, from half a world away!

Blessings and Love to each person reading this post, and to the children of Peace Village on this first day of a new lunar year, Paula