Every week brings something new: this one has brought me the honor of being called Mămicuța (Mommy), a title bestowed upon me this week by my girls. While those who usually stay with the girls are away, the responsibility has been given to me, as well as another volunteer, to watch over the girls and stay with them 24/7. I’ve been living the life and experiencing what it means to run such an organization and dedicate your entire life to it. And truly, it takes dedication and sacrifice- from the moment you wake up until your head hits the pillow at night, your free second is usually never yours.
Working with such girls not only brings the responsibilities that caring for seven full grown daughters would, but also requires an extra measure of attention that these girls need, the attention that they were never given at the orphan homes. From making food, to laundry, to any and every daily activity, you’ve gotta be there, working alongside them. Teaching them the family life must balanced with instruction in independence and responsibility. One of my girls, for example, had to find a new job today. Teaching her to grab a newspaper and call individuals or companies (opposed to wandering about aimlessly, hoping a job will somehow arise), and then make a plan of where she would go and in what order was a task. On top of that, she received a lesson on personal appearance in professional settings, such as the job interview. It’s the daily things like this that make life here such an incomparable experience, and honestly make me love it.
Since those usually in charge are on vacation for a couple of days, we decided to plan a small kind of retreat for the girls at the center- a few days for them to relax and enjoy activities they normally wouldn’t have the time to do during work and school.
We’ve taken the girls on day activities, like the movies and bowling, and still have other things, like go-carting and the pool planned!
We try to get them to experience new things, like Mexican food, or learning how to play guitar during free time.
They also get to enjoy the good ‘ole things we Romanians love, like our nightly volleyball games.
And on top of it, we’re enjoying the time with our new visitor, Patricia Niculas from Atlanta, Georgia who is half Romania/ half American to top off the fun!
It’s an honor to be called Mămicuța by these girls- to be accepted and loved by them on such a level, and to be able to show them so much love and care. Making the most of my time here is my big goal as my time is running out, and I know I’lll miss my girls immensely when the day comes that I have to say goodbye.
