...and so they fly.

 

This butterfly was on the walk in front of my house. It's wings were torn some. I was able to snap a few pictures before it had enough of the camer lense and flew away. Seeing it sitting here, injured but beautiful, reminded me of the street boys. The funny thing about a butterfly is no matter how torn it's wings may be, it aways tries to fly away when it feels uneasy.

 

I think we all have the tendency to fly when things get hard. I know I do, and I have.  Street boys are no different. If anything they are worse. Since I have been here five boys have run away from the two API homes. This is not because the homes are bad in any way. Why they run is complected and often leaves us shaking our heads and saying "What is it that these boys need?" They are used to their freedom, and sometimes being in structure and in relationship is hard. Their default when things are hard is to run - literally run.

 

All of the boys but one have come back home. Someone from API will find them again on the streets and talk to them. If they want to come home they are welcomed back. One of the latest boys who had ran wrote me a letter this last week when I was at the homes. Part of it went like this.

 

"Pleas Aunt Rachel for give me becouse I was going back to stret. Pleas Aunt Rachel for give me."

 

It kind of makes you smile and feel a little like crying at the same time. I wrote him a letter in reply and when I gave it to him pulled him aside for a few minutes. He had been acting distant around me, probably partly because he felt bad about running away. I told him I was not upset at him for leaving but that I had been sad when I heard that he ran. "The streets are not a good place, and not a good place for you. I was sad and worried that you might stay there." I explained "but how you are home again I am just happy."

 

Sometimes I naively want to think that life works like a happily-ever-after for these boys. That when they are finally in a good home environment and with people who love them everything will settle into  a perfect rhyme of life for them. This is not the case. There is so much good. And there is much happiness. But there is also a lot of pain and hurt and struggle.

 

But really, is life ever about arriving at the happily-ever-after? I think not. But is is about moving forward little by little -even if this means running away but then choosing to come back home. I see these types of movements every time I am out a the boys home. There are improvements in their English (I will write more about this soon) but more importantly to me there are improvements in their hearts.