I Loved You Before I Knew Your Name

Tons of smiling faces ran towards the van as we hopped out. Friendly smiles, giggles and laughs, and hugs were given to me by children I had never met in my entire life. I instantly fell in love with them –  before knowing their names, their stories, or anything about them, I knew I loved them and would never forget them.No one could ever guess these beautiful kids had grown up in anything close to a harsh environment. They have so much to cope with and to deal with and they take it all with grace. Nothing in the world could wipe the smiles off their faces. A seventeen year old girl living at the home said something to me that is now etched in to my memory and will never be forgotten. As I left, she looked at me and said “I see your eyes, I see you, I see you are good heart.”To be quite honest, I don’t know how this makes me feel; I feel honoured that such an amazingly strong young woman would have something so incredibly complimenting to say to me, but at the same time I feel unworthy. I see her, I see she is strong and very brave. She LiveDifferent (formerly Absolute)ly amazes me: her eyes tell such an incredible tale, and she seems to have a wise soul.Although we don’t speak the same language, these children have taught me so much. They have taught me that hope is there – no matter how unreachable it may seem. They have taught me what strength really looks like, and – most importantly –  the people here have taught me compassion. I am so excited to keep learning from these amazing people, and to play with them, seeing the world through their eyes.~Brittany, Hero Holiday Thailand Participant