We had a vision for this. We asked permission ahead of time. We printed over 100 tickets. We brought posters with the words “ART SHOW” and arrows to direct the traffic. We bought balloons. We brought masking tape and poster putty; surely, masking tape and poster putty meant success. But, the vision we had for lines at the door and a big opening with us welcoming the crowd didn’t really happen. Instead, as we were still hanging up artwork, the kids trickled in earlier than they were supposed to, the staff who had accompanied them everyday were with them, and other guests only included one foster mom and one other director who brought his daughter as well. But, man, for those three guests, it was awesome.

Would it have been better had it gone as planned, if all the working staff filed through and celebrated all the beauty the children had created? Maybe. But, you know what, it didn’t matter. It looked beautiful. The look on every child’s face was beautiful. It wasn’t what we planned and I had to laugh at how very different it was from what I had planned; but, it was just perfect.

We didn’t come simply to hold babies and play with cute toddlers with pigtails. We didn’t come simply to pat older children on the back and sing EIEIO. We didn’t come simply to assess waiting children so that when their papers pop up somewhere, we’re ready to help find families for them. All of that is good, very good.

We desired to do even more. We came for this. We came to serve those who serve. everyday. those who are paid little to do the most significant work. who are simply called “working staff” and are often criticized for not doing enough while they work in a system that often doesn’t support much more. We came to bless them.

It took much less time than we anticipated for curiosity and uncertainty to become eagerness to be vulnerable and pleasure to become honored guests of ours.

As children toddled around us and looked on, we washed the hands that serve. We spoke to each woman as we did, in words many of them did not understand and yet somehow understood.

You work so hard at what you do. You are so good with the children. Look how much she wants to be close to you. You are so important to her and to this place. We are so thankful for you. 

We saw a lot of smiles, more than we had ever seen there before. And, everything just seemed somehow brighter and lighter. What had felt like them and us just felt more like we, all women honoring each other and serving together for big big things…a spirit that was contagious.

Their smiles and sense of honor must be contagious too because all of us can’t stop smiling and feel like we were the ones served.

When the bowls for the masses remain on the sill, and the pots of soup are put on the table, and the ayis are caring for those who need help…

Until the ayis notice and make all sorts of chiding noises with their tongues and take the pots away. Don’t get mad at us. We didn’t tell. We just took pictures and giggled.