kalighat farewells

Because of our impromptu ultimate lesson at the boys home, we were late for Kalighat. Neither of us were overly troubled by this as we essentially just needed to say farewell. 

We arrived at 4:25, right as dinner was being served. We hopped right in and did our thing. This gave us just enough time to interact with the ladies and the massi's. We put ladies to bed, gave them bed pans and fed ladies for the last time. To me it was not any different than any other day; it was not iconic, special or memorial. We only told one massi it was our last day.

I suppose this is one of the joys in serving here; it isn't about you. You fulfill a role, attend to needs and contribute but rarely are you as an individual and your precise skills game changers. Volunteering at Kalighat was humbling in that regard.

Margaret, the massi we connected with the most, made us each a bracelet and gave us a warm good-bye to "10 number and 5 number" (every single day I wore jerseys with #10 on the back and in July, on our second day there, the name '10 number' was coined). She even hugged us: a rarity in Indian culture. I think we both realize the great love in the act of hugging on Margaret's behalf.

We left Kalighat like it was any other day. We did not take pictures outside in front of the building as seemed to be the norm on most other people's last days. For me, today just was. I enjoyed my stay there, I enjoyed working with the ladies, I respected the sisters and loved many of the massi's but more volunteers will come and, at this place and the other homes, all will be well.

I will miss Shanti, Maya, Tara, bed sore lady, diabetic food lady, dog bite lady, colouring book lady, Meena (aka Al Pacino), Kanon, Mooni and others, but I was at peace with what I'd done, how long I'd been there and what will happen going forward.