Earlier today, I was just minding my own business, trying to buy a Coke when I got a tap on the shoulder. It took me a couple of seconds to realize who I was looking at, but when I finally made the connection, excitement took over. When I left last September, I expected to come back a few months later with everyone still in place. Unfortunately, that’s not the way it always works out. I’ve been here for nearly three months again, and in my last week of being around, I finally found Nanay (means “Mother”) Arsi.
Several months ago, Arsi was our laundry lady. Not much later, our cook left and she filled that role. A few weeks later, one of our house parents left and within a month, Arsi was filling almost every position we had to offer. I always loved when Arsi was around because every time I walked into the kitchen, she would say, “Here, eat this.” Then we’d sit down for a conversation despite the fact that we both only knew a handful of words in each other’s language. For me, it was more about just having a nurturing figure around and this is where Arsi was gifted. Have you ever met those people that are just maternal figures? It doesn’t matter who is around them, they just know how to comfort them. This is one of Arsi’s giftings.
Not long after I left, Nanay Arsi retired from the children’s home. With the hours she was working and all the responsibilities that were being placed on her, it was only a matter of time until she left to be with her family. When I asked her why she left the children’s home, she let out a loud call and a few children came running. She introduced each of her grandchildren with such pride and told me a good bit about each one (in Visayan of course). When our language skills were exhausted, I asked her when I could see her again. She invited me to her home, but told me she would also come to the children’s home for our feeding on Saturday. Come to find out, she was just looking for the excuse to return, and I had finally given it to her.
I’ve been thinking a lot about giftings and why we’re all so different. However, despite our differences, we’re all still needed by each other. Sometimes, I see hospitality and nurturing as one of those overlooked gifts. But it’s also one of the most powerful ones when it comes in perfect timing. Today was one of those days where it was nice to have a nurturing figure around, even if it was only for a few minutes. It’s the run-ins like today that remind me that we are all so unique and equally important in the lives of each other.
