Life . . . – Jessie

What a trip. What an experience. I woke up at 5:00am to watch the sunrise from the very top of our hotel. I made my way up the rusty spiral staircase and sat on the edge of the cement roof.  I was looking down over all of Kolkata. I could see the bustling of cars already starting, women washing clothes and men starting their daily work routines. The smog impaired the distance of how far I could see, but I could see enough.  I sat there and just took it all in. I thought of how incredibly blessed I am. I had nothing to complain or worry about, it was a moment of complete happiness and it filled my whole heart with bliss. I believe that moments like that are what we as humans should live for, completely emerged in the moment and aware of the life that we are living.  The majority of this trip has been moments like this, of realization that can’t be explained by more than the word, “wow.” I have my parents to thank for giving me the foundation to understand how valuable and incredible life is.
This trip has shown me the purest forms of trust, love, and grace. It has allowed me to see the act of giving and loving in truly the most unselfish way possible, and for that I am grateful. I may come home and get back in the swing of things but I know that despite what will happen from here on out, I will walk a little taller and love a little deeper. I will try a little harder and smile a little more because my time here has taught me and shown me what a difference that can make. Words cannot express the gratitude I have towards the people here; My village for accepting me as a complete stranger and listening and offering me whatever they had. The little girls for loving me unconditionally from the second I stepped out of my car the first day, for holding my hands no matter how dirty or sweaty I was. The people on the streets for waving and welcoming me into their land with smiles on their faces and especially for the people I am here with that have been by my side the whole time, sharing this experience with them has truly been an honor. I am so grateful and blessed to have encountered the people I have and experienced the things I have experienced. It would be a shame to have an opportunity such as this one and not change for the better, so I hope that I will be able to remember everything that has allowed me to see life through a different perspective, one that is more focused on the positive aspects of things and ultimately making the world a better place. I want to make the world a better place for the rest of my life.

By: Jessie Sullivan

2 Responses to “Life . . . – Jessie”

1. misslynda, on December 4th, 2012 at 4:52 am Said:

   Dearest Jessie, I have loved every moment reading the blog. I can totally see you there. You are such an amazing person that my world has been enriched. Thank you for sharing.

2. Uncle Kevin, on December 4th, 2012 at 2:23 pm Said:

   Hi Jessie. Paola and I are so proud of you, your group, and your wonderful efforts. From the planning, the “decision” to really go, walking through any fears you may have had, and then arriving and living among those you help (and who also have helped you in return). A wise person once said, “the highest order a human being can ever achieve is to dedicate his/her life to the service of others.” We slowly learn that it is not money, success, power or gathering “things”… in the end, it is simply love. And the beauty of love is that you can “do” love anywhere… India or Sandy,Utah. The power is always there. I always thought Love was a “feeling”. But I have discovered love is an action, and when I show/do love to others, I then get that feeling back that I was always looking for… love. Your action of love by taking this trip, not only touched the lives of others, but has also given you a wonderful return. It doesn’t stop here. It has no boundaries. You can continue to bring joy to those around you, even going to the 7-11! And you already know now what you are guaranteed get in return. oxoxo Kevola