They will never forget how you made them feel

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

-Maya Angelou

As I looked up from playing Slide Baby (a game of hand eye coordination that involves counting and teamwork) with the children at the Believe in Me School, in Cambodia, I caught a glimpse of my fellow classmates with the biggest smiles on their faces.  I had to take a closer look to see what was causing this, and as I looked, I noticed they were each juggling 4-6 kids, one on each limb.  The children were asking their names, holding their hands, and having the best time with their visitors from America!

As I think back on this day my heart wells up with joy.  Although you cannot see my other classmates (Charlotte Bednarski, Julia Sackett) or professors (Dr. Spires, Dr. Datta) that were on this trip with us in this picture, everyone was surrounded by love  and was reciprocating it one hundred fold.  I saw 5 students barely out of high school being incredibly unselfish.  Five young adults who do not have children of their own, and are not even looking to go into careers that involve children just being the sweetest, kindest friends (jungle gyms) to the students at Believe in Me school.  This entire trip impacted me in so many ways, but I think this day I was most impressed with my fellow classmates and future leaders.  Like you have heard me say before, I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to go on this trip, but also so grateful to have met some of the most brilliant, kind, unselfish twenty-somethings I have yet to meet in my lifetime!

Charlotte, Julia, Eljoy, Chris, and Chance, the students may forget your names, they may even forget what you look like, but they will never forget the kindness you showed them this day and neither will I!