A birthday is like a sunrise… an eternal sunrise

Sometimes words and pictures don’t matter as much as the human touch does. There have been so many instances when I have blogged about products or services or even people… but this Sunday was special and way beyond the mundane. Social Potpourri had decided that they would celebrate their first birthday but not the way most birthdays are celebrated. Kriti and Sulekha were looking forward to this wonderful interaction with life on the first birthday of their baby!

We turn two on the 7th of April! Thank you for being a part of the ride! 

This is to invite you to join us in our 2nd anniversary celebration with orphaned and abandoned children under the care of the Udayan Ghars. 

Activities will include a story telling session with Deepti Pant, an authority in the art of story-telling to reckon with, an art activity with the children present, and the Social Potpourri Anniversary Cake Cutting by the children.

This unique birthday is for you to see and read about in this short photo-essay on how we have the power to touch lives. We had gone to one of the homes of Udayan (in Sant Nagar) and I loved welcoming an eternal sunrise within my being.

One

Attention… focus… what else do I notice here in this picture? Dreams that are yearning to fly away into the future that holds all that life may have held back until now. These are the children of UdayanCare. Orphans. Iasked one of them, ‘What do you like best?’ She said, ‘Talking to you.’

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Two

Yes, the kids are there to first listen to a rather innovative and creative story that Deepti Pant animatedly voiced… and then to make drawings on elements of the story. Other surprises included a cake and some party atmosphere! One realises that what matters a lot in life is how well you recount it…

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Three

Ah! The story-teller is so full of metaphors and expressions that bring forth an entire vibgyor of emotions on the faces of everyone, including these children. The charm of a good story told well is still alive, I tell myself.

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Four

Another lot of somewhat bigger kids… and despite their fascination with all the other things that life offers, the wish to get in and fly on the thermals of a good story is undeniable!

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Five

Isabel and Deepa are quite involved with the kids here… and so are the others who are a part of the home here and one that is just some distance away. Udayan Care has quite a few homes and has chapters in other countries as well. These homes have interaction built into their genetic structure… and this is what makes the concept so endearing. Isabel told us, ‘We have homes that aren’t isolated from the mainstream because kids can be brought up well in an atmosphere of social interactivity.’

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Six

The social pot pourrians including the inimitable Sulekha are busy grasping the finer nuances of the story here… yes, the story had a fascination for kids and adults both. I think everyone interpreted the details their own way…

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Seven

Eyes speak… expressions communicate… a smile reaches out and holds your attention. The kids were all quite involved in their schooling and learning… and as this smart little girl said, ‘We love it when people come because it is so different and so refreshing then!’

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Eight

Innocence that is learning all about relationships in a very different way is all too apparent. The children here were excited and were getting their guest-book signed by all. They were the ones who were holding the hands of reticent adults and, in a way, asking them to break the ice, come out of their isolation. These kids, I felt, had more to teach me than I would ever have to tell them…

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Nine

Even the colours seemed to be falling over each other to reach out to these enthusiastic kids…

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Ten

Yes, after the story-telling it was time to think about the story and draw what you found the most impressive…

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Eleven

There were the surreal trees and water bodies, the fairy-tale houses, the elephants, the party, and… yes, and an awesome lot of enthusiasm and excitement.

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Twelve

I remember what you drew, buddy! Nani with her ultra-modern shades! Loved that drawing…

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Thirteen

Social Pot Pourri will be putting up these drawings for auction on their website… and the proceeds will be donated to Udayan…

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Fourteen

What I liked best about the story that Deepti told was the fact that there was no holding back and sanitising ‘beer parties’ or any other form of reasonable excess… this drawing is about the beer party of the elephants!

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Fifteen

You read this as you climb the stairs to the first floor where these kids stay in their Udayan Ghar. This was probably one of those rare occasions when I literally climbed to a state of an emotional and psychological high where I was closer to the reality of life than I ever have been…

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Sixteen

A day when mortal aspirations and sublime emotions came together!

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Seventeen

Aha! The cake that made the day sweeter!

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Social Pot Pourri
UdayanCare

Arvind Passey
10 April 2013