Week 11, Goodbye to Sambodhi Home

As I sit in Ella, Sri Lanka, in an internet cafe and try to come up with the words to describe my final week at the Sambodhi Home, I well up in tears.
The week finished in a busy whirlwind. I ran groups making paper flowers, painting seashells, making necklaces, completing our group mural, working on designs for needlework and future crafts, playing cricket, taking field trips to the beach, museums and temples (THANK YOU MIKA AND JORDAN!), and threw a lovely going away party with cake, cookies, ice cream, soda and balloons for everyone. I think I tried to pack an extra months work into a week.  Residents brought me to their rooms to show me artwork they had completed and hung on their walls. I watched in groups as they cooperatively worked together creating collages and paintings of their own desire. They lined up at the library door to request coloring books, paints, pastels, markers, glue, stickers, large, small or colored paper - each person making creative choices with excitement. Art groups ran for hours, no directives necessary due to open studio feel of our solidly formed and growing group. It is such a change from the first month.
I will never forget saying goodbye to them, smiling and trying to choke back my tears. When Sandharu asked me to sing "I have a Dream" with her for everyone, and held my hand so tightly as we sang, I could no longer hold it in. The group mural now hangs in the dining room, made by the residents themselves, with photos of the work we did together and the words "Sambodhi Home: ARTISTS LIVE HERE!!! please colour their lives." I hope that other volunteers will see it, visit our reorganized library and utilize it's resources. I hope the residents will see it, remember the excitement and joy of creation and continue to make art in my absence. I hope that the 3 months of our moments together, moments of color, creation and happiness, are enough to make lasting memories. I know that those moments for me have been some of the most defining of my lifetime and I will cherish them. I am honored that these amazing people have touched my life, as I am honored to have had support from family and friends that brought me to this awe inspiring place.

A photo after my sweet friends gave me a lovely farewell speech

I now have a week to travel and see more of this rich and beautiful country before I return to Galle and install the photo exhibit I have been working on for the school. We have collected and printed over 300 photographs of the children, teachers and volunteers since the tsunami. The exhibit will be ready to view on Tuesday, and I will say goodbye to everyone there as well, and then finally say goodbye to Sri Lanka as I continue my journey as art therapist in the world.
Uploading photos at this time is a bit difficult - I will most likely add most of them when I return home. Thank you so much for reading!