a little girl from santo domingo

I'm still processing my trip to the Dominican Republic. It's hard to sort out the reactions to a people burdened by such poverty yet filled with such generosity. It's overwhelming trying to write about all that I felt and experienced. And it's impossible to put into words the genuine, unquestioning love we were shown.

For now I'm reflecting on the relationships I formed, the connections I made, and the people who touched me so deeply. Although there are many people I wished I could take home with me, closest to my heart is Lisbet, a little girl with a serious face and a persistent hug that replaced the words we didn't speak because of our language barrier. I am left wondering so much about her life - past, present, and future. I didn't get to see her house, but if it's anything like those I did see, I am in awe at her good nature despite the hand she's been dealt.

I've found myself missing Lisbet the past few days, especially after the long, tight hug she gave me before I left her behind in her barrio. She, like the rest of the children we met, yearned for the love and attention that her parents struggled to give because of their hard lives in a poor country. She, like the rest of them, had so much love to give, and gave it unconditionally.

The words I heard in her hug asked me not to go, but I had to. They asked me to return, and I hope I will. But for now, while I fight the guilt, she'll be in my heart.