Minglaba. Ahlan. Namaste [Welcome!]—A fifteen minutes drive from Vanderbilt University exists a universe that normally can only be experienced by a flight halfway across the world. Not too far south of K&S World Market on Nolensville Pike live hundreds of men, women, and children who have experienced unspeakable hardships yet have been given the opportunity to begin again in the Nashville area through their international designation as “refugees.”
Yet the generosity and laughter that literally seeps through the walls here seem all the more genuine when it is not undergirded by an ideal past, easy present, or a surfeit of material possessions. The community within cultures is astounding; certain doorsteps become gathering places for women and children socializing during the daytime, and men coming from, or going to, work at night. Yet despite this tight-knit sense of community, the refugees have welcomed us with open arms—literally showering us with gifts at all hours of the day. At first, we felt guilty, not wanting them to use their limited resources to provide us with delicacies. But as we gingerly began to give back—a meal here, a bag of fruit there—we realized what they must have understood long ago, that living with open hands and hearts creates a society where no one is truly desolate or alone.
I came here this summer thinking I would learn to give more thoroughly in one area of my life. Yet what I have learned over this past week is that giving cannot be a one-sided endeavor, and a truly generous life encompasses work as well as home.
--Elizabeth
--Elizabeth
