After Day Camp at The GreenHouse had ended this afternoon and all of the kids were sent home, two of the boys in the program kept coming back to the office and hanging around. Every time I turned around, they were in the office again - striking up conversations with staff, sitting in our chairs, playing with Chito's phone - anything they could think of to linger a little longer and distract us from our "work."
Then it dawned on me.
"It's nice and cool in here, isn't it?"
"Ya. I wish I could sleep in here."
(my heart softening, breaking)
"Is it hot in your apartment at night?"
"Ya, it's really hot. It's hard to fall asleep. Yesterday I woke up with a bloody nose."
"Do you guys have any fans in your apartment?"
"We only have one fan. It's in my mom's room."
(heart softening, breaking more)
"Do you turn your air conditioner on at all?"
"Sometimes, but only for a little while."
(thank you God for this reminder, this reality check)
100 degree day in Sacramento. Two-story apartments. Families, children, babies with no money for air conditioning.
Suddenly, I don't feel like complaining about the heat anymore.
My three boys drift off to sleep tonight in their air conditioned bedrooms with their overhead fans turned on - surely not breaking a sweat at all.
Our other kids - the GreenHouse kids - will fall asleep tonight in a very different way
(thank you God for this reminder, this reality check)
1 comment:
so true...
i know some of my neighbors are a/c-less and i see the deep joy (and relief) on their faces when they all gather out front and play hose wars, etc, for a break from the heat. especially true on 100 degree days...
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