Ahh the way life opens up sometimes. This entry may be a little too existential for some (I did, afterall, go to a Buddhist university), view at your own discretion or skip it and wait for the next issue of Peruvian Dreams.
Two days ago I was sitting in our picture window, looking out on the neighborhood and heard a vicious fight going on below. Something I noticed above the screaming, shouting, and crying was the most beautiful songbird I have ever heard sitting and twittering left of the fight house. Would it have been as beautiful if it were not for the fighting too? With a whole lot of magical thinking and prayer, I hoped that whatever created that bird could also change the situation at hand. At that very moment, the mother looked out her window, saw me, and instantly the fighting stopped. Whoa, that was really cool.
Later that night I took a taxi home, and instead of outrageous flirting and business as usual, the Taxista asked me what I was doing in Cusco and when I told him I was working at La Clinica San Juan de Dios with disabled children, he immediately began thanking me from the bottom of his heart and on behalf of the children for my help, and when he dropped me off he waited until I had unlocked my door and was safely inside before he drove off.
Yesterday I was working with a boy, Joel, who at about 4 years old spends most of his days either in a crib or in a wheelchair. He doesn't speak and most of the time he looks really bored and goes so far as to lean his head on his hand and sigh. But Joel has exceptionally bright and alert eyes, and I was told he was very 'stubborn' (which, in the world of disabled children, I tend to see as a strength rather than a problem). I wheeled him out onto the playground and it was clear he didn't want to sit in his chair. I got him out and held his hands and he flopped his legs over to the slide area. One old-time volunteer was adamant that Joel needed full assistance and she tried to divert his attention from the slide area to something he could do with his wheelchair. I ignored her and instead taught him where he could put his hands and hold onto the entire slide toy and walk himself over to the steps, climb up, and slide down on his own. This was quite a trek for a boy who hasn't had many opportunities to walk, and when he had practice, was taught he had to rely on holding an adult's hands with his own. Two times around he needed full assistance because he was pretty tippy. After that, he made about 20 rounds independently! Not only did he learn how to hold onto things to help steady himself, but he also generalized this skill and went around the other side and went down a different slide! I will mention that the entire time his legs were shaking from the exertion, but he had the biggest grin on his face ever! I noticed today he was getting around exceptionally well on his own, and when it was time to go to lunch he refused to use his wheelchair and instead chose to walk and push his chair into the lunchroom.
Yesterday a young man of about 15 with severe cerebral palsy asked to take a 'walk' with me (in his chair) and had me wheel him to the rose garden. We picked roses and put them in a secret hiding place, and he called me his 'little one' which is exceptionally sweet considering I am twice his age and three times his size! The kids at this clinic are the happiest most ready to smile kids I have seen. People see the clinic and think they must have terrible lives because they spend a lot of time in their beds and most can't walk or talk, but truly, you have never seen a gigglefest like these kids can put on every day.
More lovely things to be thankful for? Last night I had a traditional Thanksgiving dinner in an British pub in Cusco. Turkey, gravy, stuffing, veggies, wine, pie... and when I got home, an English friend of ours had made two honest to goodness pumpkin pies, of which there was plenty leftover so this morning I had pie for breakfast too!
My two closest friends in Cusco officially have boyfriends. I told Jana I was going to sit out in the plaza for the rest of the day until I had a boyfriend. I better get started!
No comments:
Post a Comment