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April
30, 2005
"My
last night in Romania"
Home
tomorrow, Sunday, arriving in Hartford through Munich and Toronto.
I will be a long day.I am at a Bucharest airport hotel which
is very nice. It's always stunning to come back to a city with
levels of service and resources that are simply not available
in the rural Romania towns. Brightly lit rooms, lettuce, and
fitted sheets on a normal height bed. The Hotel Matrix was fine...
and the food was very good... but there are still big differences.
Your perspective changes after three weeks in such a rural area
and with such limited things as exist at the Clinic (e.g. only
cold water in the bathroom).
I
was driven to Bucharest this morning by one of the Clinic/Hospital
staff maintenance men. I rode in the back of a four-seater,
four door pick up truck that Global Volunteers donated to the
Clinic. I shared the almost four hour ride with David and Kay
Colby from Silver Bay, MN. They left this afternoon with a car
and drive for a five day trip through Bulgaria which borders
Romania on the south. They will let me know whether or not to
do this in the future. They are 69 and 70 and this is their
seventh Global Volunteers trip. They met when volunteering to
teach English in Xian, China. His wife had died the year before
and she had been divorced for 30 years. They are an inspiration
in some many ways including their social commitment, energy
and relationship. It was a pleasure to share the teamwork with
them.
I
wept on Friday when leaving. This trip was so different than
my individual trip in December. I shared care for the 15 non-mobiles
with Mary Ann Larsen of Denver. I spent time with less than
one third of the kids -- and as a result developed intense emotional
relationships with them. As I laid on the floor with these babies
all around me I was overcome. Somehow they sensed I was leaving...
Mary Ann had left at noon to travel north for the weekend so
I was alone. Four of the children were right on or next to me
and were fussing and looking directly at me and demanding to
be held or covered. I could hardly bear it. Who would have thought
this would happen to me at this point in my life? Certainly
not me! I am weeping as I sit at this computer in the lobby
of the hotel. I hope no one comes by.... but then what do I
care.
Bob
and I are returning with friends Nancy and Phil Grannan, Cindy
Lawler and Sue Voudren in January. It will be a Tolland contingent!
I hope I can wait that long. Part of me hopes many of these
children go into foster homes, but it's not likely. Another
part of me hopes they are still there so I will see them again.
Thanks
to all of you for your notes, financial contributions, and certainly
your interest an emotional support. You are amazing friends.
Love,
Gloria
P.S.
Our driver today kept asking whether "Mr. Bob" was in America...
Bob made an incredible impression on the maintenance staff.
The driver kept saying "Mr. Bob good". But then we all knew
that!
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