We sat in the bus, busy blowing balloons for the visit we were making. In less than ten minutes, the whole vehicle was filled with a sea of colours, all floating about above us.
As each of us got off the bus, we took with us a handful of balloons. Armed with smiles, and a heart filled with warmth, we walked in to a room filled with bubbly laughter and delightful faces. Though they were shy at first, eventually the children warmed up to us - despite the language barrier, we silenty communicated through hand gestures and just, a simple smile.
As we handed out the precious KitKat bars brought all the way from Malaysia, it dawned on me suddenly that these kids had probably never seen chocolates in a long time. Sad, how we take something as small and insignificant like chocolate for granted where we come from. The joy I witnessed on their little innocent faces cannot be described by just words - they do no justice to the raw, pure emotions that emanated from their very beings.
When we left the home, I found myself thinking...you know, there are so many homes like these for children all over the world. What makes this home any different from an orphanage in Malaysia?
Unlike the kids back home...these children have probably witnessed the most horrific, undescribable, terrorising pain, death, and war that none of us has ever experienced at any point of our lives. And they are just...children.
How grateful I should be, that I live in a country that has never had to experience any of these horrors.
The next time this thought crossed my mind, I was watching Kannathil Mutthamital when the bombing scenes at the village in Sri Lanka was played.
After almost 10 years, I don't know if these kids have grown up safe, or alive...if I ever see them again, God Willing - then I have nothing but a heart filled with gratitude to offer to them.
We can never compare our lives to others, as everyone has their own paths to follow. However, we can always look back and wonder, even when someone seems so much worse off than we do - how do they still find the little windows of happiness? How? Something to think about.
In the end of it all, life will continue to renew itself and take its course as it should. Love, Perseverance, and Faith take centre stage, knocking away all traces of Defeat, Anguish and Sorrow. Such is the strength of the Human spirit.
For this, I am grateful to Uncle Sabri and Aunty Wati for allowing me to have this life changing experience. If I had a chance to go back and do it all again - I would! So thank you, Aunty and Uncle. These are lessons in life that I have been blessed to experience first hand.
Many more little memories from Iraq :) will share soon.
I was fortunate to be a part of group of exceptional young children who were granted the opportunity to visit Iraq in 2001, and produce a documentary on Iraqi children. It was a life-changing experience, that left me with a completely different outlook of life. The conclusion of the trip was simply - War and politics are adult games...but the losers are always the children.
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