Monday, March 19, 2012

Basha

In life, if we are fortunate or blessed, we are granted audience with the Divine. Some may think of this in various religious contexts but it may come in forms we may not recognize until later. However, on occasion this happens in real time - the wonder of a magical moment that words struggle to express.

As we left the hotel on Wednesday evening, I had been playing with one of the girls adopted from Shenzhen's Social Welfare Institute. I had started calling her pengyou (pung yo) which in Chinese means friend. We did high fives in the hotel foyer and then we three families and our guide walked to Liu Hau Park, which is a couple of blocks away including an underground tunnel to get past the very busy city street.

Due to a previous commitment we left the park not long after a handful of pictures were made. We met this other family at a noodle restaurant not far away. Interesting fare to say the least. The point and choose based on a picture and hope one gets something good and edible.

After a large wheel of food was delivered and mostly consumed it was time to go back to the hotel. I started walking down the street back to the hotel, when Basha grabbed my right hand. To my left was her sister, best friend, also adopted two days earlier. To her left was their Mom and also Tian.

Hand in hand we walked down the street until at some point I turned to Basha's Mom and said, 'Your daughter is teaching me.' Long pause as I struggled to continue. 'She is teaching me love in a new way.' With that simple act of her hand in mine, that act of faith in pengyou, this daughter of Shenzhen, daughter of China, daughter of a new American family was teaching me love in a way I had never known before.

You would be correct in questioning such - why, how could this be? I can only say that this girl with her special need of cerebral palsy, spoke volumes to me. It was an electric moment.

In that moment she was saying by her touch of faith in me as pengyou - I trust you, I value you as a friend and I suppose in someway conveys the love a friend has for a friend. As best I know she is the first person with this need that has ever physically touched me.

However, in that touch, she not only touched my hand, but also my heart giving it a rush more powerful than adrenaline. The touch reached into my very soul, yet it was a touch as soft as a baby bunny's fur, delicate yet firm.

It is a moment I wish to savor over and over.

Basha



my pengyou

5 comments:

  1. Beautiful Tim...just beautiful

    Tammy

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  2. i knew God had wonderful things planned for my daughter. i am so blessed to SEE in person these works of His in your life. we never know how He will make us "new," but trust that every day we have the opportunity...if we are only willing to say "yes." we said yes to this beautiful child. it is my hope that her life will cause others to say "yes." looks like perhaps you are next in line....
    blessings and gratitude our pengyou,
    basha's mommy

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  3. Good morning brother - our morning here - your close of day. Thank you for being willing to be pengyou - thank you for sharing it - but mostly Tim - thank you for "getting it".

    aus and co.

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  4. Tim, your beautiful post has touched my heart and moved me to tears. My beautiful daughter used to question her purpose in life. Then she gave birth to two wonderful daughters. God had so much more in store for her. She is now mama to your friend Basha. Basha daughter of her heart and friend of your heart. We are counting the days until we can connect with our new granddaughters. Many blessings to you and your family.hopefully this connection forged in a faraway country will go on for years to come. Regards, Basha and Shianna's Grandma Beany (aka Maureen)

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