Being Human

Coming to L'Arche has taught me to be human.

I discovered to a very great extend the depth of my loneliness, the depth of not belonging and inner pain that came from the sense of rejection (of being unwanted as a little girl when she asked her Granny where did she come from? Her reply was blant & straight "From the dusbin near the market!" This probably also came from the Asian or maybe Chinese culture which I recall hearing it ever so often being said).

My 1st encounter was when I lived in Gothic Lodge with people with disabilities. Boy (not real name) taught me to 'see' how lonely I was at the core of my being. He taught me to realise how lonely I was and coming to terms with my loneliness. Slowly slowly accepting my loneliness, realising our common humanity between us.

For the 1st time, I realised I'm no different from Boy.
For the 1st time, I acknowledged my loneliness. How much I yearned & longed to belong.
Boy was my 'Teacher'.
He did not set out (with a mission!) to teach me but by just being himself he taught me more than he'd ever known or realised.

That was the beginning of my journey to becoming human.

The start of the liberation of my heart; from the tentacles of chaos & loneliness and from the fears that provokes me to build a wall around me and to reject others

It is a liberation that opened me up & led me to discover our common humanity.
It was the start of discovery of my journey from loneliness; to a love that is transforming me day by day, to a love that grows in & through belonging (a belonging that can include as well as exclude).

A liberation from my self-centeredness, my compulsive and inner hurts to finding peace in forgiveness and to love those who are my enemies (whom I struggle with to get along or see eye to eye).

This is my challenge/life now.
My cup!
To become human.

It's made me realised, this is a lifetime experience. It's long and sometimes a painful process.
It involves my growth to freedom, opening myself up to others (who are challenging & difficult), not hiding behind a maskor behind a wall (of fear or prejudice).

It means discovering my common humanity.
Head & Heart = All Together

Living with people with disabilities calls me to develope my capacity to relate to/with others.
Living with people with disabilities teaches me to become more open, more valnerable especially to those who are different & difficult.

It's helped me to relate to those around me whom we 'normal' people have term ourselves to be 'normal' in my daily surroundings & life. It runs parellel, side by side.

Being aware of my humanness is to mature, to grow spiritually.