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As I walk down the hallway to the room where I volunteer in the China Care Home, MingDong crawls to the gate and claps. It has been like this for the past twelve days and it never ceases to energize me. Whether it's crawling to the gate and expecting me to run and catch him, or begging to be swung in the air, MingDong has been attached to me since the very start. However, whenever he is in a bad temper, the only two people who can soothe him (or frankly any ill-tempered child in the room) are his nannies. Despite the amazing connections I'm making with MingDong and the other children in the home, the "mothers" or nannies at the China Care Home have taught me the most. Each one is high-spirited throughout the day, and treats each of the children as her own. They often sing Chinese nursery songs to the children (and on several occasions have attempted to teach me so I can join in). And they constantly pick the kids up and bounce them around until the entire room is echoing in laughter.
It was initially a surprise to me that each child is cared for with equal amounts of love and care as the next, and that the "mothers" of the room are so devoted to the children they care for. But now when I leave, though I will miss MingDong and the other children more than I can even imagine, I will remember the impressive support and generosity that each of these mothers gives to each of the children every single day.
Grace Harper
Weston High School