By: Bella Bevilacqua
After 11 years of going to the same place, while doing pretty much the same thing, one would think someone like me would get sick of coming back. Though, I can assure you, that this is my favorite time of the year over Christmas, Thanksgiving and even my birthday. So they ask me, why do you return? And I have one answer: the kids.
After 11 years of coming back to Hogar Miguel Magone, I have developed life lasting friendships with the children that live in Aguacate as well as the children in the orphanage. I never thought I would ever find people I could consider best friends that I only see for one week out of the whole year, but I am super grateful and lucky to have found such a thing. One of my sponsor girls, Sandra has a wonderful family filled with brothers (Jairo, Miguel, and Christanto). As soon as I get to the orphanage they run down the hill and greet me with warm hugs. I always like to joke with the youngest, Chrisanto and tell him he’s my novio (my boyfriend) he hides behind his sister and giggles until he has enough courage to give me a big hug.
All throughout the week you can catch me hanging out with Sandra and her brothers, playing games from thumb wrestling, to patty cake, to tag. Either way we have a blast together. At the end of each day before I get on the bus we have a little song and dance we made up that I will sing, “hasta mañana” and they will repeat, then I sing, “see you tomorrow” and they repeat that as well while doing any silly dance of my choice. At the end of the week we sadly have to change “hasta manaña” to “hasta el año proximo” “see you next year” but when I sing those words I know that they know I will be returning.
Comments