The Unexpected Visitors

It’s completely different for someone who has been a part of an institution, for they know everyone around, and everyone around knows them. They’re greeted with open arms and receive all the love and respect from everyone around. As an outsider, I, naturally wasn’t expecting any of it, and was truly surprised when I saw the opposite.

Walking into the Chapel, I was scared, and I kept asking my friend what would happen if they catch me photographing the nuns or just lolling about. We had made all sorts of contingent plans in case we got caught, and armed with enough excuses, we made our way to the Chapel.

We were greeted by a Sister, who I later found out was the Superior. As soon as we reached upstairs, there was a certain, and an unusual sort of hustle- the same kind for when we have some unexpected guests at the house and we hurriedly get up and start making arrangements. But this was different, for I sensed this certain excitement. Soon, we were taken to the quarters to meet the other nuns, but before that we faced the dilemma to choose which of the Sisters we wanted to go with: one wanted us to meet some other Sisters, and the other wanted us to meet the older nuns first. But in the end we decided to follow the superior who lead us to the oldest member of the Chapel: a 97 year old nun. Although she couldn’t speak, or hear properly, but her eyes lit up as soon as she saw that she had some visitors. We shook hands with her but she refused to let us go, tightly holding on. It was so welcoming, and I feel so loved despite being a stranger to all of them. One by one, we met all of the nuns, and then came Sr. Dolores Anne.

A 90-year-old nun, she came to the place when she was 7, and had been there ever since. Old age and frailty didn’t stop her from chatting with us, telling us about her time at the Convent and about how she remembers everything! And that was the best part, despite their old ages, their memory was still going strong. I was later told how it was because of the extremely balanced diet all of these Sisters have. What truly moved me is how beautifully Sr. Anne sung the school song, and after I reeled out from the emotional roller coaster that it brought with it, I realized how the Superior and the Sister herself became teary-eyed from the overwhelming emotions. It was truly beautiful.

What I learned here was that no matter how old you get, or no matter where life takes you, you should always stay true to your roots, and to be proud of who you are. But most of all, it was about staying true to your mission and your purpose, for Sr. Anne, despite being 90, was determined as ever and made sure she was as punctual as she was to attend the masses, and to be there whenever someone needed her, for she was the guide for the rest of the Sisters, be it for education, religion or any other worldly or spiritual affair.

But hey, what about the Superior? This woman was probably the most excited to see us, and it was apparent by the way she wanted to show us around and made sure that we missed no corner of the chapel, and not a single person. She was a very humble soul, with a very warm aura to her. “I just want to save lives, be it of a bird or a fish. If it is in my control, it becomes my duty to help those in need,” she said while telling us about her love for birds, and while recalling the time when a little bird slipped out from somewhere and was caught by an eagle. Lucky for the bird, the eagle managed to somehow drop it as well and then came the Superior for its rescue. She took the bird in, bandaged it and put it in her “Intensive Care Unit”, she chuckled as she said it. Later she told us how that little birdy was doing well and was now shifted to the “General Ward”, which was the common room. What I learned from here? To love, and to be compassionate regardless of who you are and where you’re from. Loving makes us more human, and being human is what is needed in today’s world where we’re all surrounded by machines, metaphorically and literally. What I learned from here was that life is too short to be spent only caring about yourself. Life is supposed to be shared, your experiences are not just your experiences, for your actions not only affect yourself, but everyone around you, be it a bird, a fish or a human.

Oh, and, how could we forget getting a picture taken with the two? Their enthusiasm was absolutely adorable, and I couldn't help grinning wide like a little kid when the Superior said, "Yes, you can upload this on Facebook as well. Balkay, you should!" So here it is!

#article #ramblrrtalks