I feel your pain...

Sometimes I forget how much pain and loss is associated with being a TCK, and that pain is often found in the least expected places.  Just this morning, I was thinking about what people have played pivotal roles in my life, and I was reminded of many faces that are very dear to me.  One that popped into my head was our house-helper when I was a little girl in Rwanda.  She truly loved me, and I loved her.  There is a picture (that I have lost and wish I could hold and gaze at just now) of her holding me on her back when I was 3 or 4, wrapped in a blanket and holding her close.  She would take me to her house some days and let me just enjoy being a little white Rwandan girl.  I still can remember sitting on a plastic stool eating candy and just laughing with her.  Such good memories.

I just happened upon one of the middle school girls that I’ve gotten to know here, sitting by herself and looking rather sad at lunch time.  I took a seat and asked her what is up…and it turns out that her helper is moving away.  (When I say helper here, I'm referring to the person that works in a person's house, often in the capacity of a cook or cleaner.) She is heartbroken, and all of a sudden I’m a little girl again, feeling that same immense sense of loss.  It’s a problem I would never be able to identify with if I didn’t have the same experiences in my life.  She’s just a person who works in her house, right?  Wrong.  She is a member of their family.

I’m so thankful for memories and experiences, although looking back on them can be painful and heartbreaking.  ‘Tis better to have loved and lost, right?  Maybe true, but it doesn't always feel that way...

Location: Chengdu, China

Local Time (CST -- GMT+8): 12:24 p.m. (11/1/2012)

Auburn Time (PST -- GMT-7): 9:24 a.m. (10/31/2012)