today was a tough day - not in terms of work, i am use to that, actually i am use to much harder days..no today was a hard day because, today was the last day of coaching and training, tomorrow the whole day will be one big media circus - we will be in press conference from 10.00 - 15.00 and Thursday we will bring 3 - 4 of our colleagues with us to the slum area, to give them a bit of exposure to what Chennai also is .. so today really was the last day of working with this team, Friday we will eventually have the final presentation on our deliverable - and then it is "bye bye" India ..
so what made today so hard, well the emotions are coming up to the surface, the barriers are being let down, and it is coming out .. we have worked side by side with these people for weeks, we have had lunch with them, we have laughed with them, talked with them, shared hopes and dreams with them, we have connected with them, shared our passions with them, our loves and hates with them... and now it is slowly curtains down, a final bow, lights turning off - the audience is getting up to leave the theatre and we are left with nothing but our memories ... this time around - there is no extra show...
one of the guys from our group came to take the stage today before we left, thanking us for all we have done for him, helped him develop, improve, become stronger, more extrovert, more confident, more open minded, more professional, how we have inspired him, motivated him - and now he is sad because we are leaving him .. he apologies for being quiet the whole day - but he was been very sad from the morning till now, he has tears in his eyes ... - and slowly i feel them coming in my eyes as well.. another one of our girls talks to us about what we meant to her, what we will mean to her, how our leadership, passion and inspiration - is driving her to set out to achieve more things, new things that she a couple of weeks never would have dreamt of ... this is hard, maybe one of the most emotional experiences i have ever had to go through ..
(..my new-found Indian "mother" sharing her feelings and emotions with the group.. )
and as we close todays session we are made aware of that friday - there will be the goodbye party for us, where all of them will come, i fear at that time i will not be able to hold back my tears anymore.. but as one of the women shares with me before she gives me a hug (which is NOT common for a woman to hug another man !!) i have gained another son .. and with that i am for the first time in India left speechless - but she is right many of the women here has been caring for me like a mother to their son .. strange but now when i come to think about it .. i might just have gained a very big Indian family here - and that my friends doesnt make me cry, no not at all .. that makes me very happy ... and a smile appears on my face ... what a day ... what a day ...
so what made today so hard, well the emotions are coming up to the surface, the barriers are being let down, and it is coming out .. we have worked side by side with these people for weeks, we have had lunch with them, we have laughed with them, talked with them, shared hopes and dreams with them, we have connected with them, shared our passions with them, our loves and hates with them... and now it is slowly curtains down, a final bow, lights turning off - the audience is getting up to leave the theatre and we are left with nothing but our memories ... this time around - there is no extra show...
one of the guys from our group came to take the stage today before we left, thanking us for all we have done for him, helped him develop, improve, become stronger, more extrovert, more confident, more open minded, more professional, how we have inspired him, motivated him - and now he is sad because we are leaving him .. he apologies for being quiet the whole day - but he was been very sad from the morning till now, he has tears in his eyes ... - and slowly i feel them coming in my eyes as well.. another one of our girls talks to us about what we meant to her, what we will mean to her, how our leadership, passion and inspiration - is driving her to set out to achieve more things, new things that she a couple of weeks never would have dreamt of ... this is hard, maybe one of the most emotional experiences i have ever had to go through ..
(..my new-found Indian "mother" sharing her feelings and emotions with the group.. )
and as we close todays session we are made aware of that friday - there will be the goodbye party for us, where all of them will come, i fear at that time i will not be able to hold back my tears anymore.. but as one of the women shares with me before she gives me a hug (which is NOT common for a woman to hug another man !!) i have gained another son .. and with that i am for the first time in India left speechless - but she is right many of the women here has been caring for me like a mother to their son .. strange but now when i come to think about it .. i might just have gained a very big Indian family here - and that my friends doesnt make me cry, no not at all .. that makes me very happy ... and a smile appears on my face ... what a day ... what a day ...
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