In my last post, we set out for India. It was 2017, but it feels like a lifetime ago. It immediately did. Who I was at the beginning of this two week excursion is not who I was at the end of it, or in the middle. I sent notes to friends and family along the way to keep them updated, and I’ll share some of that with you as we move through this life-event. I think it’s important that you get to watch as the trip progressed, as my words evolved, as my whole heart changed.

Eventually it became very hard to write what was happening, a conundrum I can only liken to a moment of trauma where the feelings overload and bring shock and silence to your system. In this case, in a good way. It was an earthquake, a cataclysmic movement of the world, and it shook into me a new understanding of all that I ever thought or knew. So much so that still I won’t be able to do it justice. It is my very own full moon, and it cannot be captured by a click, or a word.

Hey friends!

We'll be arriving in Mumbai on January 10th, and meeting The Miracle Foundation group on the 11th! This organization has been close to my heart for sixteen years [now, twenty]. I have wanted to go meet these sweet, precious people for most of that time, and I love that the sharp tug to go is happening now. 

I heard this story first when Caroline came back from her trip around the world just in time for a Boudreaux family reunion. I remember how passionately she explained to us what she had seen, what she now knew. The resounding word for me continues to be “grateful.” How grateful she was that she found her way there, how grateful these people were [and still are] for EVERY SINGLE THING, and how everyone I know who has gone comes back with brighter and more grateful eyes.

The whole family stood at one end of a very large table, crowding in around her to see the pictures. As she tearfully walked us through her photo album with excitement, I knew that she was going to do everything she could for these people.

I mean, I must have. I remember this so clearly. We didn’t know she was coming to the reunion. No one thought she’d be able to make it. And she surprised us! The pictures of this moment are incredible. I’m not sure who took them, but one of us is a most intuitive photographer. They were able to capture, so beautifully, every wide eye, every chin reaching, every mouth on the floor.

My heart fills up thinking of how these children changed her life, and how she did the same for them. Mom and I can’t wait to get there to meet Caroline’s many children, and be part of the magic!

I have spent this year enveloped in being grateful… actively looking for it, paying attention to it, reading about it, surrounding myself with people immersed in it. I can’t think of a better way to move forward in thanks than with these people, in this place!

Should I back up a little? Let’s talk about Caroline.

She is my dad’s youngest sister - my aunt. She has been one of my absolute favorite roommates. She is the reason I liked church for a while, as long as I could get a seat next to her voice. She is kind, she very easily sees the potential in people, and she is always willing to offer advice, expertise, and truth. She likes to play games, almost as much as I do. She is easy to gravitate toward, look up to, and brag about. She is beautiful, and unbelievably stylish. She’s a master decorator, a great dancer, and she never gives up on anyone or anything. She was all of this long before The Miracle Foundation.

It has been a great gift to be able to watch her walk. To be moved by her. Empowering really, to see it from the start. The struggle. The overcomer in her saw the kids’ sweet faces with every no, and every impossibility. The warrior in her fought for them with every ounce of her being. Caroline has always been a very tangible presence of cool collection in a storm. She lights up a room, and commands it at the same time. She is all these things, and so much more. And it has changed the world for at least 15,000 precious people. And also, for me, and anyone else who’s been following the work of The Miracle Foundation. Here, watch this video. You’ll see.

The vision has evolved and grown over the years, and now, partnering with UNICEF, The Miracle Foundation intends to render themselves obsolete. To give every child a loving home by 2040. To need no orphanages. That’s what my aunt Caroline is doing, along with an incredible team of humans who love in a way that moves mountains.

For years, part of the mission was an ambassador program. She wanted people to see, and to feel the way that she felt. To give us the opportunity to fall in love with these kids. To create voices for the voiceless. And that’s what we were on our way to do - to become.

I didn’t realize it then, but this trip was about to pull the voice right out of me, lay it on a table, show me my bleeding heart, and give me a reason to start using it. Love. Joy. Resilience. I was about to meet my heroes - little darlings that I will forever be connected to and moved by. I can’t wait for you to meet them!

First, I think you should meet Caroline. You’re going to love her. Her Ted Talk is time well spent. Enjoy!

I know, right!?! Grateful.

Follow The Miracle Foundation on instagram, facebook, and youtube to get updates on the work they’re doing. They have already found 20% of the children in their care a loving home. If you have the means to help, I encourage you to do it. This is something to pay attention to, and to be part of.

I hope the grandchildren of this generation ask, “Do you remember when there were orphans?” And we’ll say, “Yes, we were part of the change!”