At 7 years old, Happy is the youngest child in the children's home. When he first came to the home, Happy suffered from depression and cried daily to go home. He was scared to be away from the home he always knew and struggled to interact with others, especially adults. As we don't know exactly who Happy's mother is, we're not sure if he's an orphan or not. We do know, however, that his family does not want the burden of taking care of a child living with HIV.Most children, when hurt or sad, run instinctively to an adult for hugs and comfort. Happy, however, will sit alone and cry silently, not wanting to draw attention to himself. This weekend, Happy fell into one of his sad spells. I found him by the fountain outside, with tears silently streaming down his face. It's so hard to see this little boy (who is the size of a 4 or 5 year old) sitting all by himself looking so hopeless. All the children in the home crave hugs and affection. When I give Happy a hug, he doesn't react. As the children were going to bed the other night, Happy mentioned to the other kids that I hugged him and he didn't know why. I asked the kids if he didn't like hugs and they said, "Oh no. He likes hugs, he just doesn't understand them."
My first 7 weeks here, Happy didn't talk to me at all. After a month, he began to smile at me, but if he caught my eye, he would quickly look away. Now, he's beginning to read with me and even said a few words to me. Although he still suffers from bouts of depression, Happy is interacting more every day. The latest group that came has a hilarious video of him dancing to Michael Jackson...I wish I had this video to post on here!
I'm a strong believer that God has a purpose for our names. Although my name means peace, I often struggled with peace, especially as a child. I now feel that God has given me the gift of peace in many very difficult situations. I hope that Happy too, would be given the grace of happiness in hard circumstances and that his life would be a testimony to what God can accomplish when we give our lives to him!
I agree a name can be a powerful thing, and like your students are doing in class, it can set a high standard for us to push toward and bring to reality. I too pray that Happy will find the strength and joy to embrace his name, and life around him. I'm sure your smile and joyful fun loving nature are helping to open his heart and many others.
ReplyDeleteIt's exciting to see this unique opportunity that God has provided for you and designed you uniquely for.