The Flower

With everything new and strange around me, and with a lot of uncertainty gnawing at me, I walked on the grounds of the Children’s Home on my first day. I started my new job that morning and my manager was taking me on a tour of the grounds. I had a lot to take in. With my attention focused on all the novelties I was trying to process, I felt a slight movement around my legs. Looking down, the most gorgeous two blue eyes stared up at me with a radiant smile. With his arms thrown around my legs in an embrace, the little blonde boy stood and looked up into my face and I heard him ask: “Hello Auntie, how is Auntie’s day?”. Ha-ha-ha, as if the young boy with the oversize suitcase knew exactly how completely overwhelmed this lady was feeling that day. With a smile, he handed me a blade of grass that he had picked on his way back from school and he turned and ran with the rest of his buddies to put their bags in their homes.

It was at that moment, seven years ago, that I realised I was in the right place, the big change in my career was indeed the right one. With all that our children have been through in life, it is wonderful to see with how much enthusiasm and joy they can still look at the world and how much love they can give us from their broken hearts.