Skip to main content

Watching Tenzin Grow

Tenzin is the first of the Tsering Lama's grandchildren, and is being raised by his grandmother. He is three years old, but was born with developmental difficulties so that he cannot walk or talk or even crawl.

I was playing with Tenzin this morning in the sun on the balcony, making funny movements with my hands to get him to smile. He has such a great smile. He smiles with his whole body.

He grabbed my hand and pulled it to his eyes to study it. He was really curious about it, what this thing was that could move in such strange ways. When I first arrived five months ago, he could not hold anything in his hands. They were more like simply extensions of his arms that could only bat at things. Now he has begun examining things, drawing them close to himself, holding them and turning them over.

It was such a great moment, seeing this new ability and new curiosity, and just sitting there in the sun as he held my hand. My heart grew about two sizes. Moments like this are certainly what life is about. Simple, profound, and full of love.

Nepal text