Aurathai. What can I say about her? She taught me so much about loving people regardless of the love you may receive back. She taught me that love is simple and doesn’t always require words. She also taught me that if you have enough sass you can get away with just about anything.
I am not one to get super close to people while I am in a country. I always feel awkward around people that I’ve just met and the language barrier always seems so daunting to me. This month I got to do something that I love so much, hang out with the little kids. After teaching preschool for 2 years I’ve come to love that age group, and any child who is still young enough to get swept away in their imagination and not have a care in the world. I had the pleasure of teaching the youngest girls English over the last 2 months. And that is where I first met Aurathai.
Instantly Aurathai reminded me so much of another girl I love so much. She was sassy, fully herself, and loved deeply. She was not afraid to be silly or play with you. I quickly fell in love with her. It brought me so much joy to interact with her and love her the best I could. Because she was only 7 there wasn’t a lot we could communicate about but I did all I could to be in her space. To play with her, to love her, and help her know she was seen.
She did so much more for me than I could have ever done for her. As I watched her each night bounce from person to person on my team giving out hugs, I saw her love people who she barely knew, fully and without fear. Aurathai reminded me I shouldn’t be afraid to love the people right in front of me. I shouldn’t be afraid that they may not love me the same way in return. She gave out hugs, shared kisses on the cheek, and laughed regardless of the person in front of her.
It was simple to love Aurathai. It required me showing up, and it required me to give her my full and complete attention. It didn’t require knowing everything about her, or her knowing even the tiniest thing about me. It simply required showing her that she mattered to me. I think sometimes I fear loving people because I don’t know if what I have to offer will be enough for them. It was so different with Aurathai. She was easy to love because she showed me the simplicity of choosing in. That was all it required.
Most of the girls left Sending Hope to go home to parents and relatives for a couple of weeks while they have a school break. It hurt having to say goodbye to Aurathai. I don’t know if I’ve really ever cried saying goodbye to people in the 18 months I’ve been on the field. But I cried that day. I cried because I knew that I may never see her again, but that she would always hold a special place in my heart. She taught me so much with so few words. A sassy little 7 year old taught me more than I could have imagined at the beginning of my time here.
So, I will love Aurathai until I see her again, on this earth or in heaven. I will love her because she changed my world by just being herself. And I wonder what would happen to the world around us if we were all just fully ourselves?
