Tonight when I get home there will be no happy faces waiting to greet me, only the odd abandoned toy or bin full of nappies to remind me that little Lakshmi spent the weekend with us. A happy little bundle of joy who wakes up with a smile and goes to sleep with a smile. Returning your smiles with interest and no questions asked. When Kavitha was her age I wanted her to grow up quickly and talk to me, so that she could tell me what was upsetting her. With the little one, there is no such hurry.
Always happy to see you, reaching out to touch your face affectionately, making you feel like you are the most important person in her life and sometimes trying to talk with bubbling enthusiasm.
Occasionally she lets out a squeal when something or someone is bothering her, which is usually her granddad, but this doesn’t last for long.
I like to gaze into her eyes and long for this innocence to last. While I do this, I also worry about the children growing up in Syria and other war zones and hope that one day soon they too can laugh out loud like little Lakshmi and enjoy their childhood as it is meant to be.
