Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Family. Familia. Poribar.

Family. I have the family I was born into and a few family I was adopted into by circumstance. When I lived in Kolkata a few years ago, I lived with a family which I lovingly refer to as my Indian family. Many times over the last few years I have referred to my Indian sister, brother, mom or dad to which people usually ask if I was adopted or if my family adopted a child from India. I lived with this family for 4 months is a relatively small space where we laughed, learned, ate and cried together. We got a small glimpse into what life is like for Indian families. I will forever cherish those moments of singing the National Anthem (because it was the only song all three of us white girls knew by heart, dancing to T. Swift and chatting with mom while she cooked dinner.

I have been in Kolkata for more than a month, and I had not seen my Indian family until last weekend. I had been looking forward to seeing my little brother and sister who were not so little now and chatting with my mom over tea. I wanted to ask so many questions. I wanted to just sit and hear about their lives over the last 3 years. I walked through the neighborhood which was my home years ago and saw familiar faces and they asked where my roommates were. Upendra met me on the main road and walked me to their new flat, and as we approached, Lucky was waiting at the gate and ran to give me a hug. It was the warm welcoming back into my Indian family. My little brother was not so little anymore and was eager to offer me cold water and a place to sit as we entered their flat. My mom gave me a big hug and welcomed me back. We ate and laughed about all the good times we had over the four months they had 3 American daughters. Mom shared about a time when a man from the neighborhood asked her how she had 3 foreign daughters and she shut him up by asking if he had a problem with it. I sat and talked with them for hours as they fed me until I literally could not eat or drink another bite. It felt just like home. I love how family picks up where it left off. I am so grateful for the family I have around the world.

This week is Thanksgiving. I am thankful for the opportunity to come back to a place to love and serve with some really amazing people. I am thankful to have a community all over the world supporting me on my journey in Kolkata. I am thankful for my community and their ability to walk alongside me in this crazy, chaotic, amazing city. 

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