As we were ready to leave, the girls were holding some finger nail polish with a look of hope. Kris took each girl and carefully painted their nails. She was half way done with the second girl when Beti called out " We have to go now". Well, Kris looked up and decided that even though we had to go, she would finish the nail painting. They blew the nails dry and the girls were delighted. They ran to their mother so proud of their beautiful red fingers. And, Kris received the biggest hugs that they could give. Speaking of giving, one of the families who received some food, ran down the path and cut a bunch of bananas from their tree to send us on our way.
This is a great story, and I'd guess there's more value here than painted fingernails. There is a Vietnamese woman named Phaly Nuon, who taught surviving widows of the Vietnam/Cambodian "Killing Fields" how to experience emotional healing after the massacre of their husbands and subsequent plight from their homes. The surviving women were so traumatized from the experience that their recovery seemed hopeless, but then Nuon taught them how to give manicures and pedicures to each other, while telling & retelling their stories in a safe environment. This allowed the women to do something intimate and nurturing for each other, and the result was wonderfully effective - restored emotional health. Karis and I have practiced this with the three granddaughters, and I even bought them designer fingernail kits so they could paint each other's fingers and toes. It's an inexpensive way to spend quality time, in an unthreatening atmosphere.
ReplyDelete