On our way home for Diwali this year our 3.5 year old daughter became an instrument of a very deep understanding within our hearts. Due to the recent Hurricanes in India, one in Vishakhapatnam called 'Hood Hood' and the other in Ahmedabad called "Gur-ipun" the country was really on an high alert. :)  So our flight from Ahmedabad to Raipur got stuck at Nagpur. After an hour of hovering in the sky and 3 hours of wait at the airport we managed to get a road ride home.

We were waiting for our ride outside the airport and i sat down at a side pavement. Reva decided to sit further behind me on a higher seating area right next to a local policeman, who was busy taking a break with his colleague. She, very casually opened her little pink Hannah Montana tiffin box and offered her snacks to the policemen before even she took a bite herself. Before you know her conversation with them started by her introducing her name, where she was from, where she was headed and what was the reason that she was stuck at an airport that was not her destination. Before even the policeman could respond to her very casual information, she had her questions in line for the policemen about their origins and how they 'should eat her snacks' with her because apparently, 'it is good to share' :). The policemen seemed to have lost all guards down by then and couldn't help smile at this very casual kind gesture. Their random conversation followed for another half hour.

This very simple act of conversation and kindness pulled so many strings in my heart. I realized that connecting with a stranger isn't that difficult at all. That love is a language that IS widely understood. I immediately felt a sense of calm, love and hope that this act was possible only because of her (and our) endless exposure of acts of love and compassion in the community. I have wondered many times of the little waves of generosity that we (as a family) have observed and experienced, and how this little soul is able to process it! I knew in that moment, that it was just not our parenting, it was that of the entire community, and immediately felt the role of the collective, for the collective.

I truly felt so much gratitude for everyone, and this time there was no face or name in mind.. That invisible collective felt my own. :)