I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world. Mother Teresa

I’ve learned here that India doesn’t make India beautiful. There’s trash everywhere, dirt, awful smells etc. But when you’re here that doesn’t matter because that’s not what India is. India is beautiful, if you look at it with the right pair of eyes. The people make India beautiful, not the landscape. I’ve also learned that not everything goes according to schedule. Sometimes life happens and when it does go along with it. Enjoy the ride and the people your with. Life is to short to be uptight, upset, angry, sad and mad at someone who hurt you. Forgive people, move on, live, laugh and love unconditionally. I’ve also learned to search for connections outside of words. Today I went to a colony called Moot. It was SO much fun! It was very sad also. This woman only had one leg and she would walk with her fists. She had no fingers, no wheel chair no nothing. She was the skinniest person I have ever seen. Skinnier than an 8 year old. She didn’t speak at all. She didn’t really look at anyone either. The entire time she just stared at the sky. She closed her self off from everyone in the group and sat alone. I went over to her and wrapped my arm around her, kissed her hands and sat with her. It was really hard to connect with her because she was so cold to everyone. Cold with a reason I’m positive of it. She finally looked up at me and flashed a small smile. I could tell in her eyes that something was wrong with her but we didn’t need words to communicate. She just needed someone to sit with her and love her. I finally got her to come play Jenga with the group and she totally rocked it. She was AMAZING! These people have no fingers and still kicked my butt! There was another man there and I’m not saying their names because I would butcher it so I wont even try ☺ But he had one full leg and half another leg. He had no fingers or toes and to get around he had almost like a pillow with wheels. It was so rad. But its just so sad these people aren’t even given wheel chairs. They’re not given anything. One man was emitted to the hospital because he was dying and he needed a blood transfusion. The nurses moved him to a level on the hospital all by himself and put him in the very last room in the hallway with not even any sheets on his bed. They hadn’t even bathed him in three and a half weeks. They refused to give him a blood transfusion because to them he was “dirty”. It makes me disgusted at how cold people can be. They eventually kicked the man out of the hospital and he ended up passing away. All the people in India LOVE when you sing to them so we sang them all kinds of Christmas songs. They were so amused it was hilarious. One man was so happy. Honestly the happiest person I have EVER met. We asked his wife why is he so happy? She told us he is only happy when we come because we bring out the best in him. Which is ironic since he and all of them bring out the best in all of us here. Their smiles and laughs are contagious. Their all just so vibrant and colorful I can’t even explain it. Just pure unconditional love. It was so hard to leave these people and know that those were the last feet I’d wash here, the last hands to kiss and touch, the last tears I’d shed to weep with them and the last laughs I’d share with them. Until next summer of course! I cried the whole way back to the hostel.

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.
Mother Teresa


* Leave people better than you found them.