Three days of pure love

I have just completed three days in a row of "service" at a Women's Interlink Shelter outside of Calcutta, and it was such a beautiful experience.  I was never prepared to be greated at the gates each day by 60+ little girls yelling, "Auntie, Auntie", or the buffet style lunch fit for an Indian king each afternoon, or the infinite amount of hugs and hand holding that takes place, just because I am me.  Nobody too special, really, just a middle aged mom of two from Cape Cod that likes to read.  Nothing more or nothing less.
 
But, to those 60+ girls, that have smiles that could light up the darkest sky, you are a super hero.  You play jump rope with them, duck, duck, goose, sing songs and dance.  Then they began to ask you questions about your home, your family, your life.  Then they begin to give you small gifts, braid your hair, and show you pictures of their mothers, most likely deceased.
 
It is moving, sad, poignant all at the same time.  I am glad that, at this shelter, our project has been to paint a mural in one of the bedrooms.  Beautiful blue walls with a tree of life, and various animals, flowers and plants indiginous to India.  It is coming along nicely, and I am very excited to see the finished product next week.  I figure, it isn't much, this mural, but it is something for all of these girls to remember us by and hopefully enjoy, at least for a little while.
 
I am pretty confident that I will soon be forgotten, but I can honestly say I will never forget these girls, and my time there.