I don't know about you guys, but this story just thrills me. I don't see myself ever having kids, but I love who I am when I am around them. I become a big kid myself, acting all goofy, not caring what others think.
To a group of young children in a small Acehenese village in Indonesia, I am now known as Tante Kathy (Aunt Kathy). I visited Keude Unga this past week, a village of 109 homes, to oversee the official handover of houses to the residents. The day before the ceremony, during the set-up, I ended up spending quite a lot of time with a group of girls, all about 8-12 years old. A few boys ended up joining us. We had the best time. They first honoured me, one by one, by grabbing my right hand with theirs, and touching it to their forehead. It's a respectful gesture for elders. Then we got into the fun stuff.
They wanted to know things like if we have strawberries in Canada, and could I please bring some the next time I visit. They wanted to know if I was married, and almost fell off their chairs when they heard I was 42 years old! I asked if they had boyfriends (knowing full well what theire reaction would be), and they didn't disappoint. Cries of "ewwww" echoed all around, both from the girls and the boys!
They would all start talking at once, all of them trying to get my attention. Now, you have to remember they're talking to me in Bahasa, so, for the most part, I have no idea what they are saying. Thank god for my coworker Dewi who acted as translator! I taught them how to sing If You're Happy and You Know It. They all burst into singing Happy Birthday, even though it was no one's birthday.
We got our pictures taken together, then the children had to go on stage to practice a traditional dance they were going to perform. I'd catch their eye and they'd break into large smiles. They seemed so proud. And then, before leaving for the day, they asked if they could call me Tante Kathy. I tell ya, my heart just about burst. I am an aunt to 5 nieces and nephews back home and I love them to death.
But having these little ones wanting to be my friend, well, it reconfirmed for me that I made the right decision in coming here. There will always be office issues, regardless of what office you work in. The bottom line is, it's the people who count. The people we are here helping. And although I won't know these little souls very well, perhaps years down the road they will remember me and smile. I hope that I can have as good an impact on them as they are having on me. And the next time I visit Keude Unga, I will try to remember to bring some strawberries!
