Those Eyes...

Rich, warm with a spark of curiosity, those little eyes pull me in…precious eyes that take in this world that they call home.  
Each Saturday morning I watch those eyes as I listen to the beautiful melody of a language way beyond me, but the eyes nearby and cute little faces easily distract.  
They are the next generation of Nepal, and this is their home.

To them the surroundings are familiar.  It’s all those little ones have seen…

The random, yet colorful litter in various corners

Straggly dogs mangled with wet dirt

Uneven sidewalks with holes of mud

Electricity lines that form a maze of tangled wires

Chaotic traffic with thick, heavy, black exhaust that billows around

Crowded streets with a few who are just barely surviving

But…

They have families that love them and fun traditions I might never know.  The surrounding hills and mountains will be a normality, and this Nepali language they will speak without thinking.

I am thankful chance to experience life away from my normal environment.  It’s another opportunity to comprehend just how rich even the poor are in my homeland.

Splashing in the rainy streets and passing by a bus stop filled with people and about eight goats, the impact is there.  

Passing by restaurants that look like unfinished basements with a few flimsy tables set up, I know this place is different.  

Drinking from bottled water, taking cold showers, looking to see when the electricity is coming back on, I know I am much more fortunate than most in this country.  

Hanging off an overcrowded bus just to catch a ride and wondering how many strikes will occur this week that will halt the traffic for hours, I can’t help but think that this is how most of the world lives. 

This IS how most of the world lives.

Do you really know how blessed you are?  How fortunate and wealthy you live?  Hot running water, constant electricity, safety, a car that works, heat….the list goes on. 

These little eyes around me…this is their world.