Elephant Healing

Da, second from the left, front row.

 It's Da who confesses first.  She's been up since 2 am, unable to sleep from the excitement of the day ahead.  Today is Elephant Ride Day!!!!!  Apparently this has a similar affect as Christmas Eve, with several of the children finding it hard to fall asleep, and if and when they did, finding it just as hard to stay asleep.  Today we do something we never thought we'd ever have the chance to do! The anticipation practically vibrates in Da's little face, and ripples through the children, even to the older ones.

Suradet and Yupa

I'll admit that I've second-guessed this choice of outing for this trip.  Two factors significantly increased the cost between the time we first said we'd do this (last October) and the time when we were ready to make the booking.  One - The Canadian dollar took a beating in the markets, making the exchange rate rather disappointing.  Two - The cost of the ride (two people per elephant) went up by about 35%.    When we calculated the total cost for just over 30 people to have a half hour ride, see the show, and have a simple lunch, it seemed like more than what we normally would consider reasonable.  I even appealed to Sponsors and Highviewers in general for donations to help cover the difference between what had already been budgeted and what we would ultimately need to make this happen.

Tonkao, my riding partner.

It all came in, and comparatively, for the size of group we had and the bigness of the event, it was still a bargain from a Western budget perspective.  Still, there is always that sense of wanting to be sure we are spending kingdom money appropriately, frugally, in keeping with the values of Hot Springs and particularly the careful spending habits of Pastors Suradet and Yupa.

Now, post-event, I am pretty convinced it was a good thing.  A very good thing.

And if Da's small, vibrating face isn't enough proof, there's Nok Gaew.

She's 8, and new to Hot Springs.  And while each child goes through a period of adjustment upon arrival, Nok Gaew seems to be just a little quieter than the rest, even after a year here.  She's shy, for sure, and the last thing we want is to put pressure on any child to be someone they're not, or epxress more than they are willing.  Still, it's been a challenge, sometimes, to engage her.

But on Elephant Ride Day it was as if a new little girl emerged.  And as I watched her smile for practically the whole day  I couldn't help but consider what sadness brought her to Hot Springs in the first place.  I know her Dad isn't in the picture, so right off the bat, what's the story with that?  I know her Mother could not afford to send her or her sister (Paula) to school, and that her place of work did not

A rare and wonderful smile from Nok Gaew.  And this is just standing in line!

allow children present.  I know that they lived in a  'dangerous' part of town, and that leaving the girls home alone all day just wasn't safe.  I know these factors, this little part of the story, so I can only extrapolate what kinds of sadnesses punctuated or even permeated her early years.

Childhood memories are supposed to include fun and safety and having enough to eat.  Hers didn't.  Same is true for every child here.  That's why they're here.

And that's why it seems to me now that elephants can be healing.  That this day of not being able to sleep from the excitement, and the loud joyful singing in the truck on the way there, and the excited giggles in the line, and the extra hand-squeeze of excitement as we step onto the elephant's back, and the non stop smiling for the whole ride, the whole day long.....that all of this is making an essential happy memory.  It's inputting joy-data that challenges the previous claims that life is scary and sad.  There's happiness instead, and fun.  There are people who love you and come for visits and be the aunts and uncles, grammas and grandads that you don't otherwise have, to spoil you just a little.  You have a Mom and a Dad who want you to experience good things.  And the future can be very different than the past.

I am convinced that a whole lot of healing happened on Elephant Ride Day.  And not just for the kids.  But for us.  At least for me.  Because, to be part of this?  It erases some junk in my own life too.  And life seems just a little bigger and more beautiful than it did the day before.


[Additional Note:  We are conscious of the sensitivities to animal cruelty.  By our own observation, the Mesa Elephant Camp practices a philosophy of deep connection between rider and elephant, evident in the way the animals interact, not just during 'performance' time, but also during bathing and other 'off' times.  The housing and nursery area are open to the public.  Half way through the ride, the elephants even got a snack of sticky rice:).]